Posted by
zapdoodat on Friday, April 04, 2008 3:36:00 PM
Five years ago, I worked as a software engineer at Varian Semiconductor Inc. We developed the next generation, high-current, serial ion implanter. Ion implanters are used to make the semiconductor wafers that will be cut into microprocessors, memory and logic chips. These machines cost about $5 million each. In the first year, three were shipped to South Korea, three went to Japan, three to Taiwan, two to Europe and one to Micron in the United States.
All neo-cons, like Charles Krauthammer, say that Japan and South Korea reimburse the United States for our costs to defend them. I don't believe it. Japan spends 1% of GDP and South Korea spends 2% of GDP on defense. The United States is spending 8% of GDP on defense.
The U.S. defeated Japan in 1945 and came to south Korea's rescue in 1950. A half century ago, Japan was a devastated country and South Korea was destitute. Joseph Stalin and Chairman Mao were universally feared by the free world. However, the Berlin Wall fell almost 20 years ago and many believe in the United States, that the Cold War is still on.
Instead of paying for their own defense, the South Koreans are brilliantly letting the American taxpayer do it. They are plowing their money into consumer electronics, automobiles, microprocessors, computers, steel, shipbuilding, cellphones and hi-speed internet access. They spend their money on R&D to prepare themselves to meet the manufacturing and technological competitive needs for the 21st century.
The dollar is falling and will continue to fall. America has lost millions of hi-tech and manufacturing jobs and will continue to lose them. In the past 7 years, the national debt has gone from $4 to $9 trillion. We are the world's biggest debtor nation. My God, we owe China $1.4 trillion, Japan and South Korea another trillion dollars. This picture will not get prettier any time soon.
The South Koreans hosted the Olympics 20 years ago and Tokyo hosted them 40 years ago! South Korea and Japan, both, need to saddle up and do their share of the heavy lifting for their own defense. They have the economies and manpower to do it themselves.
Our largest security threat from Asia is economic and technological. We are squandering our resources. America needs to return to its core values, namely, promoting economic growth, innovation and small government.