VIDEO- Robert Reich on Protectionism- dropped something interesting

[liveoaktx]

Next issue to hit the public consciousness?-Edited from This Week

[cry baby]

1. 80% of military contracts are going to foreign companies?

WTF is that all about????? I hope some others in the corporate media pick up on that and do some investigating. GE might really get mad if they know that they could be getting some more of that military business.

[radio4progressives]

4. WHAT ABOUT THE DEMOCRTATS?????

Goddammit to HELL! THEY SHOULD BE HOLDING FULL COURT PRESS ACROSS THIS NATION!! Goddamitt to hell!

[lyonn]

11. Hell no, GE has an interest in those contracts

I feel sure, knowing how all corp. business is internationally intertwined. Someone said today on C-span that Ford is an American Co. when it is in America and foreign owned if in another country, something to that effect. It was Jeff Faux who wrote the book "The Global Class War". Gotta get that book. Mr. Faux's theory is scary but makes all kinds of sense. He says that there will be hell to pay when all these debts come due and we will lose our style of living in the near future. That is what I picked up from his show anyway. It might be shown again as this is the second time so far.

Wish Reisch (sp?) had explained his comment more, given facts or where this info came from.

[GregD]

2. Anyone else having trouble with these links?

I get the canofun page, but when I get to the video link, I get a DNS error.

Anyone know if there is a config issue I may be dealing with here?

[radio4progressives]

3. 80 Per Cent of Military Contracts being Out Sourced? (!)

Holy Shit! Thanks for posting!

[ewagner]

6. I thought I was just

"out of the loop"...you mean you guys (generic "guys") didn't know this either?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. The foot in the door, if mentioned in the media again, is the Dubai deal

for the military defence company that is here in the states. It seems that only a few peeps about it, got out there. Let's hope that someone runs with it, and then discusses the rest.

[TomInTib]

7. This could be slightly misleading........

Most (in numbers,not $) military contracts are for small items. Printing, parts, nuts and bolts type stuff.

That is what I believe Reich was referring to, not complete weapons systems or complex aggregate assemblies.

Not that I would defend any of it. Just looking for a perspective.

[liveoaktx]

8. I found an email for him and am going to ask-who knows, he

might answer.

Even if we consider that it's nuts and bolts, the whole idea of outsourcing all our manufacturing, particularly when it comes to our security, is offensive. Wonder what countries are included in making, say, bolts for those weapons?

[TomInTib]

10. Keep me posted... n/t

[liveoaktx]

13. He wrote me back

Not outsourced offshore. The contracts are with foreign companies doing work inside the U.S. I came across the figure quite recently, either in Time Magazine or in Human Events.

***So,this is interesting. The point of contention wouldn't be about companies that are working or housed outside the US supplying goods (which is the way I normally think about foreign companies) but foreign companies working *inside* the US.

Will have to try to find the reference.

On edit- maybe something along these lines? http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-22-ports-foreign-investment_x.htm

I know in Texas the state is planning a major toll road to run north and south which will be operated by Cinta. You tell ME why a Texas highway should be controlled and managed by a foreign company.

[NYC]

12. For want of a shoe, the kingdom was lost.

Something about a horse throwing a shoe.

If the bolts are defective, how long will the big bomber stay in the sky?

[acmejack]

9. TIn the old days They had to go to US companies!

The law required the US military to buy US products (what a concept) unless they were simply unavailable from a domestic source. I guess since we can't make anything here anymore, that is to be expected. But the "base" is still ultimately profiting, which is all that matters in the final analysis.