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Gold/Mining/Energy : Gold Price Monitor -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: long-gone who wrote (38819)	8/11/1999 4:31:00 PM
From: Jim S	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116762

You're right, Richard. My one word answer was flippant and didn't address the key point of your post. You are right to call me on it. I share your concerns about the potential capacity of our manufacturing system, but I am a bit more sanguine than you for several reasons. Given our state of technology and war-making capability, the US will not get into another "all out" war like WWII -- we'd go nuke first, and win or lose, the mettle of the populace will never be tested like that again. Additionally, EVEN IF we were to get into a situation like that again (which we won't), our people are far too comfortable and lazy to ever pick up the sword and defend the gates against the barbarians -- we'd rather just take whatever system wins, and hope they feed us enough. I don't know how much you know about composit technology and fabrication, but there ain't much it can't do insofar as replacing manufactured parts. Because it is still a somewhat new technology and manufacturing stuff out of composits is still more of an art than a process, it is comparatively expensive. But, that is changing fast, and the state-of-the-art manufacturing companies (Lockheed, Boeing, GD) are each developing their own proprietary processes. In a crisis, things could move quickly. Insofar as food, clothing, and essential consumer expendables go, I expect that the basic materials would be available in any event, and in a crisis-type economy, the ability would develop rather quickly to produce the low-tech manufacturing required to meet basic needs. I suppose that, in contrast to the rationing of WWII, the new method of rationing would be in pricing, which would reduce oil consumption for nonessential activities, freeing up required amounts of energy for more important things, like illuminating Las Vegas casino fronts. <g> So, yes I agree, but it doesn't keep me awake at night. Sorry for the smart-ass answer. jim