If the only reason you are doing these things is to keep people working, their are more effective ways to do it.
You can make an argument for using procurement and R&D as a tool to maintain an industrial base for future defense needs. But the question is, is it the best way to do this? And are you getting good product out of it?
If the only reason you are doing these things is to keep people working, their are more effective ways to do it.
You can make an argument for using procurement and R&D as a tool to maintain an industrial base for future defense needs. But the question is, is it the best way to do this? And are you getting good product out of it?
What would be more effective, spending a crap ton of money for a weapon system you build a few hundred of (because it either ends up being too expensive or just actually a PoS) or paying for dedicated research while building, IDK, useful things.. or upgrading old things to be better?
Plus we hand out cash to our "friends" so they can then turn around and buy our weapons. That seems a bit roundabout and clumsy.
But all the people who cry about "socialism", don't seem to have a lot to say about this "socialistic" behavior--especially if they are Red State politicians who benefit from it.
Maybe some or even many of these people would be better employed doing other things? Maybe we might be better off a government armory built these things, even if a private company (or university or whatever) did the research?
We have a system that is apparently ripe for abuse and that is, seemingly, often abused.
If the only reason you are doing these things is to keep people working, their are more effective ways to do it.
You can make an argument for using procurement and R&D as a tool to maintain an industrial base for future defense needs. But the question is, is it the best way to do this? And are you getting good product out of it?
What would be more effective, spending a crap ton of money for a weapon system you build a few hundred of (because it either ends up being too expensive or just actually a PoS) or paying for dedicated research while building, IDK, useful things.. or upgrading old things to be better?
Plus we hand out cash to our "friends" so they can then turn around and buy our weapons. That seems a bit roundabout and clumsy.
But all the people who cry about "socialism", don't seem to have a lot to say about this "socialistic" behavior--especially if they are Red State politicians who benefit from it.
Maybe some or even many of these people would be better employed doing other things? Maybe we might be better off a government armory built these things, even if a private company (or university or whatever) did the research?
We have a system that is apparently ripe for abuse and that is, seemingly, often abused.