In December 1940, Franklin Roosevelt said that if the Axis Powers should win, then, “we would have to convert ourselves permanently into a militaristic power on the basis of a war economy.”

Luckily, the Allies won, though barely. Yet, Roosevelt’s fear of permanent economic conversion came true anyway as America militarism, fixated on Soviet competition, marched on.

In his January 1961 farewell address, Dwight Eisenhower, while acknowledging a need for a strong defense, warned about the dangers of a growing military industrial complex that threatened “a dangerous rise of misplaced power.” The politics of business-over-all easily shouted him down.

In September 1994, the Russian- American arms race finally over, Bill Clinton visited Bath Iron Works for a Labor Day launch and heard local S6’s union president proclaim: “We will be building commercial ships.” BIW’s expressed embrace of “non-military non-defense oriented projects” was roundly celebrated and then soon forgotten as Clinton opted for globalization over homeland jobs. Bath’s best-built remained solidly defense oriented.

In 2013, BIW would have finally diversified into a globalized wind turbine manufacturing leadership position — until Paul LePage opted for a his-way or no-way vision of Maine’s economic future. Hopefully, BIW’s research and development, towards that missed opportunity, will eventually pay off. Until then, it takes deserved pride in retaining its warship prowess.

Those invested in the defense industry, however, long immune to capitalism, are suddenly vulnerable to a full blown case of losing market share. Conversion and reconversion will happen as economics dictates, and as political will and preparation allow.

Market share, “national” defense-wise, used to be tied to protecting the country as a whole. At some point that became another quaint notion.

No one thought Brunswick Naval Air Station would close. Then, Red vs Blue got real and Maine found itself on the wrong side of the Base Realignment and Closure Committee’s party line. Then, our globalized economy tanked. Even with federal closure assistance, readying for conversion to a purely civilian economy was understandably difficult. Brunswick Landing is now slowly in recovery under the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. The sky didn’t fall. Clouds are slowly thinning, but economic weather patterns remain a difficult forecast. Earlier “development” had already succeeded in big-boxing the demise of many area storefronts, and on-line shopping continually threatens brick and mortar survivors both large and small. Yet, Cook’s Corner, still host to much empty retail square footage, oddly embarks on expanding infrastructure to new storefronts yet to be built. Despite loss of military families, Brunswick school and municipal building projects flourish. Looking at Brunswick’s growth, one might almost entertain the thought that maybe what Bath needs for development is “Goodbye BIW.”

Bath, however, has no Bowdoin College and soon no community college. Wing Farm’s ready to roll curb cuts open onto empty lots. The Stinson site still stands waiting. Midcoast Medical group will relocate while the Holiday Inn is replaced. No gain, but no loss. The City of Ships, nevertheless, remains steadfast. BIW is suddenly bursting with activity, an economic engine fully fired up like no tomorrow. As long as there remains such tomorrows, Bath will continue to get by, maybe even do better. The trouble is that today’s tomorrows can no longer be taken to the bank. When the state’s largest manufacturer requests seed money from a city as strapped as Bath, one may wonder how invested is it in the long haul. While BIW retools on Bath’s nickels and dimes, Bath has never really retooled from shipbuilding, and its shipbuilding is now all in one basket. That basket seems once again full and secure, but who would have ever thought that our war on terrorism would conclude that 3,000 Maine coastal miles, a known terrorist point of entry, should have its air surveillance abandoned. With Arctic sea lanes now expectedly the rage, commercially and strategically, maybe that decision will seem even less well conceived.

Fortunately for BIW, even as our post-Iraq-Afghanistan defense budget tightens, our strategic re-posturing towards containing China’s naval expansion promises our own naval buildup. That said, with America’s defense decisions hostage to partisan politics, who can say that BIW’s competition won’t eventually get all the marbles? Bath’s shipbuilding continues on an ongoing contract roller coaster ride. More sobering still, advanced technologies are moving quickly beyond all projections. Soon, drone and cyber combat may well supersede conventional manned forces. No defense contracting seems safe from a major reconfiguring of former tactical engagement.

Connecticut is leading a growing number of states in reevaluating such uncertain dependence on defense spending. The Connecticut Commission on Business Opportunity, Defense Diversification and Industrial Policy, directed by statute, will report this fall to their state Department of Economic and Community Development.

Here in Maine, there is growing interest in Connecticut’s model.

Bath’s comprehensive plan, citing overdependence on its sole remaining shipyard, addresses the need for diversification to assure continued prosperity. That recommendation, if acted on, remains a promising beginning towards exploring still larger regional economic empowerment and security.

As Connecticut goes, perhaps so should Maine. Better still, we should do our own economic due diligence.