[Cringing Negativism Network]

Sure they do.

China is becoming a manufacturing powerhouse. A lot of that manufacturing is Chinese exports right back to America.

So China gets stronger, and stronger, and stronger.

America meanwhile is 17 trillion dollars and growing, in debt.

And importing everything. Becoming weaker.

America needs to stop offshoring our industry. It is now about national security.

Build stuff, and buy stuff, from America.

[jamaksin]

Oh, the todays of green molding sand, grit under your nails, "feeds and speeds" - even glass scales on a Bridgeport knee-mill was sexy. Very tearful here.

Moving on to 5-axis (and beyond) machining, that CNC stuff and their cutting speeds around the curves - very smooth as blades through water can easily make bubbles ... very bad.

Just pause, however, and ask "Just where is the workforce, a trained workforce, to populate these "returned" factories? And just who will be training these people?

Just askin' - as the seed corn has been eaten, and as with shipping your backlog, you only get to do that once.

There is no going back.

[Smokin' Joe]

It goes beyond manufacturing. China has been buying up natural resources worldwide with those American Dollars--Precious metals, base metals, rare earths, oil, coal, etc.

While they mine mercilessly, we shut down mines, power plants, and smelters. We will not have to just manufacture goods, but the means of production and re-develop the resources to feed them.

Try buying a pair of work boots not made in China, a pocket knife, electronics. There isn't much. The last LL Bean catalog I opened had almost all imported goods. We might be able to feed an army, but to clothe and equip it will become difficult in any protracted conflict--especially if that conflict is with China.