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Return to Article: Shipbuilders hope new Navy chief will resist budget cuts

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  The Navy has cut back shipbuilding to the point that only a few warships are being built each year. This country has already lost much of its industrial infrastructure, and shipbuilding capacity is down to a mere handful of yards with the ability to build complicated modern vessels for the Navy. If this industry continues to decline, to the point where there are no major U.S. shipyards, we might as well abolish the Navy, because we won't be able to obtain ships for it! As far as foreign builders, do you really want foreign shipyards to build our naval vessels, especially considering that many of the foreign shipyards capable of performing this work are located in nations potentially hostile to the U.S.? This industry must not be allowed to wither away any further, because it is vital to our national security. Freedom of the seas means having a strong navy to ensure access to markets in a global economy, and to serve our nation's national interests. History has shown that to be the case for centuries, and it still holds true today.

  GovExec.com reader Posted November 3, 2005 1:12 PM
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  Something has to give somewhere. If the Navy builds ships it doesn't really need, will money have to come from Social Security maybe? Do we let disabled go without medicine so we can keep shipbuilders employed?

  The government has spent money so recklessly for so long that it no longer has enough money to keep everyone happy. It may seem unfair, but the Department of Defense has done awfully little to cut the fat out of its expenditures. The BRAC was little more than a smoke screen. Something has to give.

  Robert M. Posted November 2, 2005 8:03 AM