As one reads about the grim prognosis for the U.S. economy the more likely it becomes that The Great Depression is the appropriate template for our future. Unfortunately, even the most ambitious stimulus package being contemplated by our leaders might be insufficient to bring about recovery. After all, it is generally acknowledged that only the massive public spending occasioned by U.S. participation in WWII ultimately succeeded in making Americans view "depression" as a psychological state rather than economic collapse.
No one wants to have WWIII, of course. Even if such a catastrophic event were to happen, modern weaponry---nuclear weapons and missiles---would not require the mobilization of labor that the mass production of equipment for WWII's millions of ground troops once did.
But if economically and socially useful expenditures of tax dollars can't do the job---or Republicans veto any stimulus that doesn't involve military spending--- perhaps the answer lies in mobilizing labor intensive production for a faux WWII redux.
We could reinstitute a military draft, thus automatically lowering the official unemployment rate and giving people a sense---false though it may be---that the economy is improving. Credit markets can begin to thaw and our people conspicuously consume again.
Next, an army of workers can build WWII-style tanks, ships, military aircraft and appropriate weapons to supply our faux infantry, sailors and airmen. Since the mobilization will be for a faux WWII redux weaponry can be technologically modified to make them inoperable---firing blank bullets, rockets, bombs.
As for the soldiers, sailors and marines, they can engage in massive war games with faux equipment. We can even copy the Israelis and build faux towns to engage in mock counter-insurgency games. More ambitious possibilities would involve the actual re-creation of WWII's most famous battles which could employ many of those who currently re-enact Civil War combat as directors.
Above all, faux WWII will not produce the 70 million or so military and civilian deaths worldwide the real one did. This critical fact will encourage other nations to create and mobilize their own faux military resources and participate enthusiastically since, except for a few accidents, there will be no genuine casualties. In this manner the global economy will also be rejuvenated along with our own and bring us the world's good will---real not faux---that we basked in on V-E and V-J day back in 1945.
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