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Anonymous
"Pivoting" to defense in modern economies 2017-03-04 06:39:44 Post No. 33195070
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"Pivoting" to defense in modern economies 2017-03-04 06:39:44 Post No. 33195070
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Hey /k/, simple question: If a total war broke out tomorrow, would US companies be able to "pivot" to defense production like they did in WWII? I don't mean producing military versions of what they made before the war, but more partial or complete retooling.
Some examples:
- ALCO and Pullman switched from locomotives to tanks.
- International Harvester switched from agricultural machinery to rifles.
- Lionel stopped making toys altogether and started making compasses for the USN.
Would this be possible today? What about on the 12-18 month timescale in which it was accomplished in 1942?
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Apple switches to making tacticool Dragon Dildos
>I don't think so Tim.
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>>33195070
>Would this be possible today?
Depends how much money the government wants to throw at the private sector, but yes it can definitely be done.
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modern war is kinda a "burn what you have, and if you run out use nukes if necessary" desu.
pivoting would need to be done before war broke out
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You don't really need total war when nuclear weapons exist.
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I think it would be optimistic to say that they could.
Most manufacturing now occurs overseas so there would be a major hurdle in actually making factories and tooling them up. This isn't to say it couldn't be done, but I think it would take a much longer time to reach a state of full production.
The bigger issue would be that you'd probably have to literally conscript people to work in factories because the best resource for labor (18-30) is brainwashed to believe they deserve to be a graphic designer or environmental researcher or whatever. People are less trusting of the government and even if the war were totally justified I'm sure that many would still be anti-war on the principle of being contrarians.
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>>33195114
OK, what would multinationals with factories in Vietnam do? Could we do it faster than China?
That's actually a more pertinent question. Can China pivot like we did in WWII, or (e.g.) is their industrial power not advanced enough technologically?
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>>33195201
Assume it could
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everyone should buy war bonds then
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>>33195070
No. Because a modern total war would include the use of strategic nuclear weapons - ending Western Civilization as we know it.
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>>33195201
I have no idea, never been to a Chinese factory. But my gut inclination is no, or at least not as easily. They don't have the skill and knowledge base that we do for such things. They, as a nation, are about 30 years behind us in manufacturing. Their machines are plenty capable but they don't have the people who know how to use them best and don't have the experience in making such rapid changes.
>>33195193
No.
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