I can remember a day when our factory workers were in too much demand here to send off to war

[NNN0LHI]

My brother received several draft deferments during the peak of the Vietnam War. Probably had half a million soldiers in Vietnam at that time in 1969. Why would he receive a draft deferment for working in a factory? Because he was tool and die maker at Ford Motor company. Tool and die makers were in great demand at that time. More of a demand for them than soldiers. We weren't about to turn our skilled factory workers into bullet catchers back then.

Now all our kids have become expendable. Nice, huh?

We are really smart aren't we?

Don

[hobbit709]

1. We don't have any factories anymore.

so we don't need them for anything except cannon fodder for illegal wars to benefit the corporations that offshored all the factory jobs to start with.

[Obamanaut]

2. Kids were expendable before. Recall the need for "Rosie the

Riveter", and women test and ferry pilots during WW2.

Lots of young men were being snatched up to be shot up then.

[Pholus]

5. Draft status 2-B. Production needs were so high "Rosie" was hired in ADDITION to protected men.

[AngryAmish]

3. What is the difference between now and then?

The fact that there are other large manufacturing countries that we have to compete against? maybe?

[madrchsod]

4. yup..those days are a distant memory

there`s two generations that have no idea what it was like to walk in the morning and be put to work that night.

[NNN0LHI]

7. I filled out my application in one morning, took a physical and started that afternoon

And I was still a couple of months away from graduating high school. Made top union scale the day I hired in. Two-tier wage schemes were unheard of.

And there was never any talk of cutting SS and Medicare either. Actually they were improving those programs back then. Thats when we had the withheld taxes from those workers pouring into our state and federal coffers every week to bankroll the improvements to those programs.

Don

[madrchsod]

10. those were the days....

[KharmaTrain]

6. War Is Our Major Export...

The one legacy of World War II that remains. We became the "Aresnal of Democracy" and soon found it was a very profitable business and export. While American goods have troubles competiting with the stuff from China or India, our planes, guns and "expertise" is big money. It's a reason this country has an itchy trigger finger as peace means the MIC is limited to selling to its biggest customer...the American Tax payer. In the 90s we developed all these expensive weapon systems and stockpiled weapons...the Gulf Wars for profit took care of that problem.

In a "consumer society" all that matters is consumption...and those who don't consume are expendable. That will be the sad legacy of our lifetimes.

Cheers...

:hi:

[elehhhhna]

9. Violence is our major export. War is its biggest subsidiary.

We are the evil empire.

[kgnu_fan]

8. I want all to read "Winter Soldier - Iraq and Afghanistan - Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations

by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Aaron Glantz

Heartbreaking testimony by our young people.... We need to bring them home.

[old mark]

11. My dad worked in a factory during WWII, making uniforms...Mom worked in

another factory making airplanes and later bomb sights...


mark