Outsourcing national security to China

[eridani]

And some guy who tells the Chinese that we are hacking them is supposed to be some kind of a "traitor"? Gimme a big fucking BREAK already! (Kerry tried to make this a campaign issue in 2003, and the MSM paid no attention whatsoever.)

http://www.counterpunch.org/2006/04/07/the-saga-of-magnequench/
http://www.bloomingtonalternative.com/node/7950

Magnequench once made highly specialized rare earth magnets-crucial components in guidance systems of JDAM bombs and Cruise Missiles-here in the U.S., but they've outsourced our jobs and our national security to China.

In September 2003, Magnequench closed its last plant in Indiana, sending 450 workers into unemployment and moving its operation to China. The shift to China was no surprise. In 1995, the company was purchased by a front company for two Chinese companies, each of whose executives were in-laws of Chinese Premier Deng Xiaopeng. Magnequench’s CEO Archibald Cox Jr. had pledged in 1995 to invest heavily in the U.S plants, but in 1998 shut the first plant and moved operations to China. Cox is now managing the final phase of the transfer of operations to China.

In June 2000, Magnequench subsidiary GA Powders (originally a Department of Energy project) a1so moved all operations to China, where high-tech computer equipment from Magnequench’s old facility--equipment capable of facilitating uranium enrichment for nuclear weapons-had already been installed.

Pentagon advisor Dr. Peter Leitner has stated that Magnequench was a target of the Chinese because it could advance China's deve1opment of Cruise Missiles: "By controlling the access to the magnets and the raw materials they are composed of, U.S. industry…can be held hostage to PRC blackmai1 and extortion in an effort to manipulate our foreign and military policy."

Although Democratic Rep. Peter Visclosky and Democratic Senator Evan Bayh have asked President Bush to intervene on this issue which involves not only domestic job losses, but issues of national security, Bush has failed to take any action. And while the Pentagon acknowledges that Magnequench is the sole U.S. supplier of smart bomb magnets, it is apparently unconcerned that Magnequench is a U.S. company on paper only, with all of its operations in the hands of a Chinese monopoly.

While the Bush administration touts national security and jobs as issues it cares deeply about, the facts show otherwise. Not only do they turn a blind eye to job loss, but they've knowingly given the Chinese control of crucial weapons technology.

[MichaelMcGuire]

1. Interesting eridani, it dosen't surprise me thou.

I've been away for most of the discussions on NSA so I apologize if this has already been debunked or said. Could the collecting of data have less to do with National security and more on the sale of data to interested parties.

[eridani]

2. 70% of the data is collected by private corporations.

I really don't see how anyone can give a shit about Snowden when crucial parts of our defense have been sold to China for a profit.

[MichaelMcGuire]

3. It is a odd one, I grant you. When it comes to national security you'd think that a country would be

wanting to keep themselves as independent as possible of other countries in the manufacture of arms. I guess its like most manufacturing, a question of cost and raw materials. To further this, I wonder if data could be found that suggests that the raw materials aren't in abundance/unreachable or simply being stock piled?

This isn't a topic I'm familiar with and very much a layperson.

[eridani]

4. A Chinese company is the sole supplier of US smart bomb magnets

--and people care about whether they know we've been hacking them? Jeebus. I really don't believe the National Security State apologists.