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I don't think I can accept that as an example of sub-sub-sub contracting as I was using it, while it is an valid example of something, it's not what I mean. The DoD wants a missile to knock out tanks, Raytheon (née Hugues Aircraft Corp) design one and tender it for contract along with several other competing prime contractors such as Thales and Lockheed. Having won the contract the build of that missile is sub contracted by Raytheon to Thales and Lockheed, who sub-sub contract individual sub-assemblies to Goodrich (as AEC) and other such middle tier companies who in turn sub-sub-sub contract modules and other small components to a plethora of companies all over the country (ref: List of USA defence contractors). No one here is getting wealthy from this and the demand for those modules and other small components manufactured by those sub-sub-sub contractors is far from artificial. What happens is that rather than create a wealth of employment solely in Massachusetts, the employment is distributed across several companies across the country. This is still a house of cards as you describe it, albeit a different one more like a domino effect, where the cancellation of one Defence contract can have a knock-on effect across the whole manufacturing base of an economy.

 

While I have no wish to defend Defence spending, I do recognise that in both the USA and much of Europe it is essentially the only manufacturing industry we have left, producing high-value low-volume goods that do not compete with the open-market. The trade embargoes that the defence industries operate under are the most restrictive ever imposed (for example ITAR), removing these restrictions won't necessarily open up the markets or reduce costs as they are related as much to security as they are economics. Similarly cutting Defence expenditure will not result in a diversification in manufacturing for any of the contractors involved in the Defence industry, what diversification they ever had was lost or sold-off years ago when it became uncompetitive.

 

Any plan that aims to cut Defence budget must understand fully the implications and have a viable plan to deal with the inevitable consequences - assuming that "something" will fill the gap is not enough.

 

Immigration? Try this: Immigrants 'must add to quality of life in Britain'

 

 

I wouldn't bother, unless it's so bad it's funny. 

 

“I’m sure they’d be able to detect if this planet had life on it. Just the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in our atmosphere would give us away,” he said. - but only if their detectors can see faster than light, the Earth the average Milkyway dwelling civilisation can detect at light-speed would be 1000s of years in our past.