-> ...   
   ->    
   ->  BK>  The incredible stupidity of cutting taxes during war is exceeded   
   ->  BK>  by the incredible stupidity of sending the tech they need to   
   ->  BK>  destroy you to the countries most likely to try it.   
   ->    
   ->  BK>  Oh, and the factories to build the weapons.   
   ->    
   ->  BK>  And getting dependent on your potential enemies for your   
   ->  BK>  military needs.   
   ->    
   ->  BK>  Damn are we screwed.   
   ->    
   -> I was pointing this out as far back as two/three years ago!  How stupid   
   are we?   
   ->  Export everything, no factories left of any magnitude and it seems that   
   the   
   -> lesson of WWII is lost. For those that don't recall, or didn't live   
   through   
   -> those years, it was the conversion of every assembly line we had to   
   making   
   -> something for the war machine - just that simple. The combined   
   production was   
   -> mind-blowing, and even the smallest line was converted to make   
   something.   
      
   Absolutely true!  And I *did* live through those times.  I worked in a   
   "defense" industry, named a "war industry" following Dec. 7, 1941. I was   
   too young for the draft but enlisted anyway ...    
       
   -> Now we have very little to convert, and my guess is not enough skill   
   level to   
   -> even get a plant up and running fast enough to do much good.   
      
   I hope responsible government officials (oxymoron?) are aware of this and   
   have some hidden "master plan" to correct it in time ...    
      
   Prior to WWII, even prior to the German invasion of Poland, it was apparent   
   war was on its way.  I recall reading a lengthy newspaper article which   
   outlined the great plan our government had in case a war *did* break out.    
   *Everyone* was listed in the Federal War Plan Book, and a job for *all* of   
   us was planned there.  For example (and this example *was* in the article)   
   theater ushers will be made army officers because they're used to leading   
   people.  That was no joke!!  Well, certainly not a *deliberate* one ...   
   [sigh] ... then came the European War, the draft and, finally, Pearl Harbor   
   ... and EVERYTHING seemed screwed up!  So much for the "master plan" of   
   *those* days ...    
      
   -> Meanwhile China is marching on, often on the cutting edge.      
   ->    
   ->     
   -> Too late for me to take up Chinese, but some of you yonger dudes might   
   be wise   
   -> to do so. :)  I think "Rosetta Stone" has a course. :)   
   ->    
      
   No connection to the above but I am taking a couple of courses on   
   linguistics.  Because of that I'd recommend learning Mandarin rather than   
   Cantonese.  Why?  Because Mandarin is the official language of China -- tho   
   Cantonese is more popular world-wide -- and Mandarin in simpler.   
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