Soap Box

We all know that America has lost a large percentage of our manufacturing base over the last several decades, creating havoc in one-industry small towns and exporting American jobs and money while still importing the products they now make in other countries.

But what else have we lost in the process?

Back during the Second World War, factories and plants that made commercial goods were tooled up and converted to enable them to produce the planes, tanks, guns etc. necessary for the all out war effort America was waging and, even then, it was all this nation could do to meet the demand.

Has America given away a major part of the manufacturing capabilities it would require if we were once again forced into a major war?

Obama's "The world is safer than it's ever been" statement notwithstanding, we live in a volatile international climate of hostility and aggression and there are major powers who could, and very well may, start a wide spread conflict at any time, one that America could not stay out of and would be forced to commit massive manpower and military hardware to.

Does America have the ready resources to meet such a threat? Do we have he manufacturing capabilities to immediately produce the hardware and technology our troops would need to wage a widespread war, one that was threatening the homeland?

Obama's war on coal - which Hillary Clinton has basically said she will continue - has it actually weakened our production capacity? And in their effort to replace coal power with unproven pie in the sky passive energy, is industry being incapacitated, industry it could take years to put back on line?

How many foreign made parts have you had to replace in the last few years? Would you want our soldiers carrying a gun or riding in a vehicle that was manufactured in a country where quality control is just a suggestion?

How dependable would the foreign made products and the supply lines to procure them be in a time of war and how easily could those lines be interrupted or destroyed for that matter?

Someone should ask Ms. Clinton about how the Russians were able to purchase the uranium sources in the United States.

There is a pervasive school of thought amongst the liberal minded in this country, a �Pollyanna� mind set that "all we need is love," that America has been a mean and dominating nation ever since it came into military prominence and super power status, and that if we will only become a touchy feely, warm and fuzzy place with open arms to any and all, if we'll just become more humane and caring and practice unbounded diversity, the Utopian brotherhood of mankind could begin and societal euphoria would sweep the planet.

If we would only prove our good intentions, the rest of the nations of the world would reciprocate and we'd all be one big, happy global family.

Anybody with enough mental power to chew gum knows that this will never be, that the factions, religions, long-held hatreds and the general jealousy and contempt that much of the world holds for the U.S. and our way of life will never allow a lasting peace on Planet Earth.

Our blood enemies cannot be placated, bought, reasoned with or dissuaded from wanting to see the United States of America ground into dust along with every man, woman and child who lives here.

The odds are that one day, one of them will acquire a nuclear device, probably a dirty bomb, but with enough destructive power to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Would we be prepared to pick up the pieces, to mount a response to protect our flanks from our enemies who could take advantage of America's weakened condition and attack, or would we be dependent on imports and handouts to replenish our losses?

America led the industrial revolution and, up until the last few decades, led the world in innovation and manufacturing might.

Self-serving politicians of both parties who kept raising corporate taxes until they are the highest in the world, federal manufacturing restrictions to the point of folly and big businesses' greedy search for dirt cheap labor has driven our industry away.

It's bad enough, the loss of jobs, the loss of power, the loss of small town America and all the other bits and pieces of the American dream that went offshore along with our manufacturing might, but what would happen if America was forced into an all out war with a truly state of the art equipped modern army, with as many planes, tanks and guns as we have, could we muster the manufacturing power to keep up?

It's a scary thought.

Oh, and by the way, a note to all you Utopians out there.

I agree there will be a day of universal brotherhood and peace, but I arrive at my conclusion, not by anything mankind can do, but an act of Almighty God, at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Until then, �war and rumors of war,� and we'd best be ready.

What do you think?

Pray for our military, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

� Charlie Daniels

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