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In WWII, didn't America not have the war materials needed? Didin't a bunch of companies switch over to war materials and start producing the heck outta stuff for the military?

Too bad all this contractinbg crap is in play, and that the goobermint spends all our money on other crap, otherwise, they could drop the dime on some items our military needs right now.

In WWII, didn't America not have the war materials needed?

America was woefully lacking in weaponry with which to stock the Arsenal of Democracy from the beginning of WWII in September, 1939 until the fall of 1943. Production picked up in 1944 and by 1945 we had the most lavishly equipped Army the world had ever seen up to that time.

Didin't a bunch of companies switch over to war materials and start producing the heck outta stuff for the military?

Yes, they did. They were forced to do so by the War Production Board. All heavy industry was essentially expropriated by the government for war production. The business owners retained ownership and were paid for their products, but they weren't allowed to manufacture consumer goods for the civilian market. The US economy was mobilized for Total War.

Congressman Meehan and his associates passed the laws requiring all the contracting crap which make it very difficult for a business to quickly produce a solution to a military need and have it bought by the government and issued to the troops in a timely manner.

According to last weeks testimony at the house armed services committee, the DoD opted not to use its powers to take priority production on armored humvees and it also did not exercise its available power to second source this matter. The issue is one of funding and not capacity. Peak planned but unbudgeted capacity this summer is 300 vehicles per month but plant capacity is 450-500. Meehan and numerous senators and reps of both parties are pushing to get additional funding to move the figure to full plant capacity and to hold it there. The fact is the army's estimates of need are skyrocketing and we might as well plant to produce into that need versus trail it by a year as we are right now.