The U.S. quite appropriately cut its defense spending after the USSR collapsed: https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/military-spending-defens

The U.S. quite appropriately cut its defense spending after the USSR collapsed: https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/military-spending-defense-budget https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/mili... which in turn caused a cascade of mergers in defense contractors and the retirement of much this production and mechanical know-how. I think you are incorrectly conflating this transition period with the offshoring knowledge decay.