A lack of vision.

A major reason the Allied Powers defeated Nazi Germany in WWII was that the U.S. military-industrial complex vastly out-produced Germany.  Allied forces recently defeated the Gadhafi regime in Libya because of U.S. weapon supplies. However, the U.S. is now outsourcing military production and beginning to pay the price.

Early in the Iraq War, the U.S. ran short of precision-guided bombs and could not produce replacements fast enough because a Swiss company, responsible for a critical part, refused to sell the part since it did not support U.S. actions in Iraq.  In 2010, the U.S. purchased 59,000 computer chips for high-tech weaponry, and the chips turned out to be counterfeit. The U.S. is phasing out its ship-building facilities, while China now produces 97% of new ships built (SaturdayEveningPost.com, January-February 2012).  This does not bode well for the future of the U.S. military.

The Bible has long noted, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV).  Regrettably, many of today’s leaders lack vision and are motivated by short-term thinking.  They are focused on reducing costs and do not consider long-term consequences and lessons of history.  Ultimately, this lack of vision will play into the hands of enemies and bring national captivity (Deuteronomy 28:25, 36-37).  We are watching the beginning of this cycle now in the Israelite-descended nations of America and Britain.