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To: flamefront
--the real bottom line isn't even the government, it's these international profits at any cost companies who want to sell any technology they have to anyone who has cash or an equitable swap. They've put profits as the number one top priority over common sense and patriotism.

Here's an idea, just an outright ban on exporting first generation, leading edge technology. Wait until it's three generations old before it can be considered for export. There's no reason we need to export top of the line missile technology or fighters or tanks, etc to any other nations, keep that tech inside the US for our national defense. If we always stay ahead of the world, it will greatly reduce the risk of being attacked. It can't eliminate it of course, but seeing as how the US produces the 'best stuff", we would always maintain that crucial technology edge. And there wouldn't be the "need' to always review this or that, as no leading edge would be considered, only the semi-obsolete but still functioning stuff. As in "sure, whoknowswhereistan, buy some phantoms from us, but no getting f-16's or raptors, sorree".

Yes, I know "other countries will just sell the arms", I sez so what, our stuff is still mostly better, and these other countries won't be reverse engineering and using our taxpayer supported R&D money to make weapons with so they can export.

I'll say it again, there's just this lack of common sense patriotism at these high corporate levels-and why should they? They are international corporations mostly, they long ago abandoned being "US" only companies. The impression I get is they could care less about who they sell to. They just see "the war" market internationally. Profits at the expense of national security does not compute.

33 posted on 03/23/2002 5:11:05 AM PST by zog
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To: zog
Here's an idea, just an outright ban on exporting first generation, leading edge technology.

Yeah, great idea. After a while, no one will WANT to steal our technology, because it will be about as respected as the Chevy Vega.

Wait until it's three generations old before it can be considered for export. There's no reason we need to export top of the line missile technology or fighters or tanks, etc to any other nations, keep that tech inside the US for our national defense.

I take that also includes the underlying technological building blocks--materials science, computer hardware, et cetera. Pretty soon, no one will want to develop any high-technology device in this country, because unless you can force every American to buy the latest stuff every time the new technology comes out, then there is no way to amortize R&D costs without foreign sales.

If we always stay ahead of the world, it will greatly reduce the risk of being attacked.

Unfortunately, this idea ain't a recipe for doing so.

It can't eliminate it of course, but seeing as how the US produces the 'best stuff", we would always maintain that crucial technology edge.

Actually, we wouldn't. We'd wind up falling behind everyone else, because nobody would invest dollar one in stateside R&D.

And there wouldn't be the "need' to always review this or that, as no leading edge would be considered, only the semi-obsolete but still functioning stuff.

Yeah, no need for reviewing export licenses, nobody would want one.

As in "sure, whoknowswhereistan, buy some phantoms from us, but no getting f-16's or raptors, sorree".

OK, so would you OK export of 80386 computers, but not Intel P4s or AMD Athlons? How about composite manufacturing know-how? Where do you draw the line? These satellites were CIVILIAN systems, dude.

Yes, I know "other countries will just sell the arms", I sez so what, our stuff is still mostly better, and these other countries won't be reverse engineering and using our taxpayer supported R&D money to make weapons with so they can export.

No, they'd just experience an R&D funding bonanza so they wouldn't NEED to reverse-engineer our stuff.

44 posted on 03/24/2002 12:36:20 PM PST by Poohbah
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