Bombs for Jobs

US manufacturing has been a historical powerhouse. But as time goes on more and more of our products (ships, cars, computers, appliances) are getting sent offshore. Congress is too cowardly to impose any tax disincentives to slow this down. Then you have all these idealists who think we spend way too much on defense on not enough on what...corporate bailouts? Tax cuts? Outsourcing more jobs? Let's get real. Congress might be working on some $26 billion dollar aid program that will supposedly "save" 300,000 teacher jobs, but until Republicans listen to anybody but themselves and cautiously approach the idea of raising tax rates we won't get anywhere. Instead, middle and lower class conservatives have been conned into the idea that less taxes will somehow mean more money in their pockets. That if only greedy liberals could stop funding things like education, police and firefighters maybe they'd have an extra $2 in their pockets from those poor, poor corporations who are just taxed so hard.

 

One thing not difficult to get through this republican-controlled congress is defense spending. So when I tell you missile and arms manufacturer Raytheon won a $450 million dollar contract for a new bomb you'll know that's defense budget situation normal. The F-35 will be using this small/smart bomb as well as the F-15 at some point. Maybe you're a hippie and think the only places for bombs are in some dystopian future and that peace is the key to success. Well in theory you're probably right. But the truth is, defense spending creates domestic jobs. This new bomb plant will be in Alabama. I'm sure Alabama state representatives doctored a nice tax-advantaged plan to entice Raytheon there much as the same way the South is selling out its union employees for half the wages just to get a few auto plants. Raytheon's engineering is located primarily in Arizona, one of the major economic engines in that state. A few years back Raytheon bought Hughes Aerospace and is now 12,000 people strong in Tucson. They make a lot of our missiles and bombs. And for now, it all has to be done over here for security reasons. So Apple, Ford and GE can send plenty of their manufacturing (and engineering) overseas, but there's still at least one thing partisan greed can be counted on to keep domestic. For national security, of course.