'Smart-bomb' technology moving to China

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Tuesday, August 12, 2003 | Sherrie Gossett

[andy58-in-nh]

That's right, just keep selling 'em the rope, boys. For a country that invented the Smart Bomb, we're pretty damned stupid sometimes.

[Jeff Head]

I've been watching this one for some time, amigo.

Crazy, isn't it?

...and very dangerous in the long run. It's one of the types of things that convinced me to write The Dragon's Fury Series.

[RogueIsland]

We're a global economy now, you silly rabbits!

Indeed. Now consumers will be able to buy smart bombs for less than they'd pay for them if they were made in the U.S. A win/win situation all around!

[RadioAstronomer]

Hmmmmmm......

From here:

http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/mag/mag102.html

Additional equipment to meet demand for rare earth permanent magnets cut to close tolerances has been installed at Magnequench's new UK factory.

That was from approximately 1.5 years ago.

Also look here:

http://www.magnequench.com/tech_resources/index.htm

"The Technology Center is a 30,000 sq. ft. laboratory, built in 1999 specifically to meet the needs of Magnequench's clients for neodymium-iron-boron powders, magnets, and added-value components. A client can present his requirement for an optimum magnetic device design, for a magnet assembly, or for a challenging new material specification, and expect a complete solution from within this self-contained facility. He can even stay here and work alongside the Technology Center staff as his problem is solved."

"Magnequench selected the Raleigh/Durham region of North Carolina for its proximity to major industrial centers worldwide, allowing easy access for clients. The Southern climate and its consequent lifestyle has also allowed the Technology Center to attract some of the world's best magnet scientists and engineers. Because this region is a national center of excellence for science and technology, the Technology Center is able to draw upon considerable local resources to augment its own capabilities."

"The Technology Center is a unique, world-class engineering resource for the design and development of neodymium-iron-boron alloys, powders, compounds, magnets, production processes, permanent magnet components and devices. Having attracted some of the world's best permanent magnet scientists and engineers, and provided them with the latest process equipment and analytical tools, the Technology Center has everything in-house needed to provide a client with the optimum powder, magnet or added-value component."

Also look here:

http://www.magnequench.com/mag_news/releases/letter%20to%20president0429.pdf

The Anderson plant was permanently closed by April 29, 2002

[thackney]

cool magnets, lousy politician, job lose, scary Chinese ping

[thackney]

lose=loss :-(

[squidly]

Let it go. I'm more of a carpet bombing/napalm fan myself, anyway.

[Eaker]

Dragging us down a little further everyday!

[RadioAstronomer]

We've been hearing about the move of Magnequench's mfg. to China for a while now, maybe since Clinton was in office. I'm surprised that nothing's been done yet.

Look at post #24

[RadioAstronomer]

but the thread got pulled after over a hundred replies. No reason was given.

I do not know if this was the reason, but look here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/961830/posts

Post #32

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Both Bayh and Visclosky previously lobbied President Bush and administration officials to look into the Magnequench matter, but received no response.
"We're still trying to get a response," Visclosky press secretary Clifton Brown told WND.

They could get no answers from DoD either. No one can get any response from anyone. So, we are left to speculate and connect dots. The previous thread on this same subject was pulled; I hope this one isn't.

[murdoog]

Indeed. Now consumers will be able to buy smart bombs for less than they'd pay for them if they were made in the U.S. A win/win situation all around! ROFLMAOACMHO!! (rolling on floor laughing my a$$ off AND crying my heart out)

[RadioAstronomer]

See my posts. Form what I have been able to find, this plant is long closed.

[RadioAstronomer]

Sigh Form = From :-(

[LS]

Adam Smith said there were certain sectors that should be immune from free trade, most notably defense. One cannot be dependent for critical weapons systems on another country due to lag time---in WW II, we built a tank in about four hours from scratch, a carrier in about 18 months from scratch, but today, a carrier is a 10-year building process.

Parts that you can easily start up quickly are fine to be outsourced, and indeed, to pay higher costs here at home to make a simple part that can be outsourced is, to use your term, "traitorous."

But it would be equally dangerous to allow the U.S. commercial aircraft or shipbuilding industry deteriorate because when we need those planes---possibly to fight the Chinese---we need them. Now, that raises real-world questions, and not just polemic sound bites. For example, how MANY commercial air manufacturers should we subsidize/support? Any? All? How many shipbuilders? Our solution to the present has been to have one layer of competition (i.e., at least two in each category), so we have EB and Newport News. If there are more, fine, but we don't want to be stuck with one, nor do we want to subsidize 50.

This has resulted in some mergers that I think are pretty sensible, because they allow the U.S. to subsidize one company on the basis of its major product (say, rockets) while nevertheless keeping its minor products (say, airframes, or jet engines) "in play" enough that it can be competitive.

It is, however, impossible to be totally self-sufficient, particularly in some national defense items, because the U.S. simply has NO natural resources of chrome, titanium, or even large resources of bauxite, lead, tungsten, diamonds, and so on. So one must embrace free trade if one wants an army or navy, unless you want an army or navy of the 1700s.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Here's a local article with the dates for 2003:
"The Magnequench plant employed about 225 workers in two buildings. The plant is set to close by Sept. 30, with most workers to be gone by Aug. 15. Magnequench has begun dismantling some equipment in the plant and moving it to China."
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2003/07/31/news/top_news/ce801739a3dffb8f86256d74000cba22.txt
I previously found this link from Senator Bayh's office:
http://bayh.senate.gov/releases/2003/03/A06March03pr.htm

Someone had pointed out (on the previous thread) that when Bayh was governor he didn't care what Clinton was doing under his nose at this plant. And, that was when the worst damage was done. So, no thanks to Senator Bayh now.

[harpseal]

While we disagree on many issues on this at least we agree.

Thank you.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Well, I followed your reasoning right up to your last sentence:
"So one must embrace free trade if one wants an army or navy, unless you want an army or navy of the 1700s."

Trade with other nations does not necessarily mean it must be "free trade". A fair exchange between nations has always been a good idea. What is going on today is not fair, although it has been described as free by some.
Trade with China in particular, has not been fair. So, unless you want to continue to give them advantages in trade and technology I would not recommend embracing the current trade policies.

[harpseal]

That could well be the case. However when I went to the source there was no such worm. Maybe the worm came after it was posted to Free Republic in which case it becomes even more suspicous.

[harpseal]

So one must embrace free trade if one wants an army or navy, unless you want an army or navy of the 1700s.

Clearly the US as a nation must import some raw materials if it is to maintain its defense industries. The need to import some things is a whole lot different than a need to import everything. when I was stating my agreement I was referring to the specific instance of this company and this exporting of technology. Further i woudl point absolutely no one has ever suggested tariffs on items that can not be produced in teh USA due to climate and or natural resources. So stating the need for certain raw materials or saying those who want some tariffs for protection want a complete shutdown of international trade is a straw man argument.