No More Bullets

American servicemen fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are firing more than 1 billion Custom Brass Shells 7.62x51mm OTM .223 Ammunition a year. Thats a lot of bullets. US forces have fired an estimated 250,000 bullets for every insurgent killed. No word on how many bullets it takes to kill an innocent Iraqi. I guess basic training was just a little too basic. They forgot to teach how to aim.

Whatever Weapons8279 reasons, we now have an ammunition shortage in police departments nationwide. Law enforcement officials are now considering alternative training weapons - such as paint ball guns. Maybe they should also consider blowguns, harpoons and crossbows.

Police departments are trying to cope with year-long delays for handgun and rifle ammunition. When available, prices are double what they were just a year ago.

Another factor contributing to the shortage is an increased demand for copper and lead from China. Yes, something else we can blame China for - along with contaminated seafood, pet food, toothpaste, toys, and so on.

I wonder why the controlled press hasnt investigated and exposed the manufactured pet food scare. The so-called poisoned additive was absolutely harmless. The real story had to do with irate Latinos, legal and otherwise, contaminating fast foods with Ecoli. Why didnt we read about that one?

Instead of blaming China for everything, perhaps we should assign just a little blame to avaricious US corporations abandoning American workers to relocate offshore, to reduce labor costs and convert those costs into million dollar management Military Combat Loads - without a dime of those windfall profits ever being returned to American consumers. Loyalty is a one way street.

Blaming China for everything has become a popular pastime. One of these days, however, the patient Chinese are going to say enough is enough. With the stroke of a pen they could destroy our economy completely. Maybe the dimwits running and ruining our country should take note. We could 5.56 Ammo be in for a very painful, needed lesson.

Getting 7.62x51mm OTM to the ammo shortage, orders placed a year ago have yet to arrive. Police are unable to qualify with their assigned weapons. Using paint balls during training courses has become a serious consideration in many departments across the country.

Alliant Techsystems which operates a government plant near Independence, MO has provided the military with most of its small arms ammunition. They produced almost one and a half billion rounds in 2006.

General Dynamics Corp. in Falls Church, VA produces much of the military's small arms ammo. It also ships some 250,000 rounds a day to 3,000 police departments across the country.

Since American companies cant keep up with the demand for ammo, we have had to import ammunition from Israel. The Israelis, of course, are only too happy to sell back to us the bullets we gave them. Maybe if were real nice and hurry up with that additional $30 Billion aid package handout, they might give us a wholesale price.

We used to manufacture everything. Planes. Tanks. Aircraft carriers. Every weapon needed for every war. Now the largest economy in the 308 Manufacturer Ammo cant manufacture enough bullets. Now we manufacture nothing. We have to depend on places like Israel and Taiwan to keep us supplied.

Maybe - just maybe - it might have something to do with the fact that weve lost over 3 million jobs due to outsourcing since Bush took office. Thanks, George. Your job creation plan worked like a charm. You can be proud of all the wonderful jobs you created. Temporary jobs. Part time jobs. Service jobs. Low wage and no benefit jobs.

Its too bad you didnt create a few manufacturing jobs. We might have had enough bullets to fight all your illegal wars.

Guess you were too busy creating another $3 Trillion in debt in the past 6 years. The national debt is now $8.4 Trillion dollars, with a trade deficit of $800 Billion. We have to borrow $2.5 Billion a day just to stay afloat. Thanks again, George, for creating an unbearable burden for generations of Americans to come.

As for the lack of bullets, theres a very simple solution. Stop the wars! Bring home our servicemen and women - whats left of them - from Iraq and Afghanistan. Well have more than enough bullets for every police department in the country.

But I guess thats just a little too logical to contemplate. And I almost forgot. Our own government has joined the outsourcing exodus. You cant stop the wars without permission from Tel Aviv.

Otto King is a freelance writer, humorist and philosopher. His website 1984 News offers Real News from alternative and global sources, and chronicles our transformation into the totalitarian world of Orwell's 1984.