Age old greed has taken over government. National policy and representation of We The People has shifted from the voice of the people to the decisions made in corporate board rooms. Defense production is just one of many effected areas but also one of the most critical. The average American does not understand what it takes to build, trucks, planes, ships, ammo.
The one corporate giant who has the most influence on our daily lives though are insurance companies. This isn't Tin Foil theory look at all the laws passed from 1950's-today. Almost every single aspect of our lives now is regulated by this. Everyone excepts it as being good. No person today thanks to such laws can likely go a day without breaking one law definitely not a week.
Defense production wise some of it is the faults of Trade Unions. People stopped be content with an honest livable wage and were making demands the economy could not support. If that wasn't bad enough along comes such agencies as the EPA. Steel Mills are the most crucial industry for national defense. Once thriving they suddenly were finding it hard to be in federal compliance. To forge steel it takes force draft furnaces. That means either using Natural Gas or Coal. Coal is the cheapest and we still have a lot of it. Nobody wants to fight the tight federal laws. The only agencies that can afford to be in compliance is federal ones. TVA is a good example of it.
I'm gonna cut right to it. If we don't do a substantial turn around within the next decade we could find ourselves becoming a third world nation not only on national defense but living standards. Russia despite all her corruption and problems was not quite as foolish as we were after the Cold War. Their factories are shuttered and not now a strip mall or planned community. The same with their military bases. The basic machinery is still there as well so are the trained craftsmen. All they need is cash.
The Middle East oil producing nations are rich and have a high cash flow but no really substantial military might beyond low tech operations. A few exceptions sure but not many.
One M.E. agreement with Russia for defense for dollars could literally have her defense industry back on it's feet while we would still be trying to mine ores and build back factories. It's that serious. That is also one reason the Alaska MWR needs to be opened up for oil. Our survival depends on it. No oil and we do not eat. Our enemies can sink us economically and the first to do it may well be China even via the the M.E. nations. China can't into march here but China sure can march into the Middle East and so can Russia and even the newly formed EU as well. I think you understand what I'm saying. A war is being planned.
I think the idea that Europe is on the verge of freedoms much like the U.S. is not going to happen like it was envisioned. But rather a major portion will come under one ruler likely of the socialist leaning. Due to corruption Socialism or a variant may also again replace the Russian government and the people like before will welcome it back with open arms.
Free Trade is one thing. What's going on is anything but free trade and National Economical Suicide is quite another. It is not Free Trade when the capabilities of our nation production for self defense and even our basic needs is mostly outsourced.