[T-Bird45]

Both of you assume the next war will be staged a la WW2 with America as "The Arsenal of Democracy, Part 2." Unlikely, IMO - the next war will be a "run what ya brung" affair so the onus is to maintain constant readiness rather than a surge capacity. While a Venn diagram would certainly show an overlap of economics and national defense, the larger part of the national defense discussion is about political will and the proper level of spending to ensure America's defense.

[central_va]

"run what ya brung"

So our enemies know that; if the keep building replacement ships and tanks they will ultimately win. Glad you are not the President.

Ridiculous, you free traders can never address national security issues, because you CAN'T.

[jboot]

"Both of you assume the next war will be staged a la WW2 with America as "The Arsenal of Democracy, Part 2"

And you assume that the next war will be staged tomorrow. I do not. America would win any war it entered tomorrow, no one is arguing that. I am concerned about the war ten years from now, or twenty, or thirty. When our weapons are either hopelessly obsolete or are purchased from others because we can no longer produce our own. We will surely lose that war.