The New Military Industrial Congress Complex

Nearly 3 times pre 9-11 spending, as much as to fight cold war with world communism

 Eisenhower Warning (Video)                           Military Budget Archive

The Ties that Bind:  Arms Industry Influence in the Bush Administration and Beyond   An excellent introduction and update to the weapons manufacturers lobbying for an aggressive and antagonistic foreign policy, the abandonment of arms reductions treaties, and indeed the attack on Iraq, all before 9/11

1/20/10  Paying Even More, Buying Even Less --New Pentagon budget --excellent analysis by Winslow Wheeler of usual waste on irrelevant weapons, very high cost of personnel and benefits-- just more of the same, no cuts

1/27/10  CBS Long Report on Military Spending, "Ending the Pentagon's Free Ride  Long range plans for AFPAK theater training and spending

1/27/10  The Sanctity of Military Spending  Obama won't cut it despite growing bankruptcy of America--Captured by the War Party-- interesting statistics and costs

10/15/09  F-22 Still Sneaking Around Capitol Hill  widespreak profits (and "donations" for Congressmen) keep it alive

10/15/09  Democrats and Afghanistan --Senator Feinstein's husband profits from perpetual war--an analysis by Glenn Greenwald --also with interesting video of marines in combat

8/31/09   The Corruption of Empire -- tens and tens of billions wasted, stolen and lost in Iraq reconstruction -- corruption of American military officers from so much easy money.

8/04/09  Intellectuals' Lust For Wars  --"Belief in Regenerative War: Why So Many American Intellectuals Supported the Iraq War"   Not to forget--a very good review of how so many see war as a  "crusade to regenerate American will and standing in the world"

7/18/09  Wasteful Military Spending Decried by former Reagan Navy Secretary John Lehman a voice from a Republican for reform

6/29/09  Pentagon Audits & Controls -- Impossible to Reform --statistics, buying before testing, list of past reform commissions and dates, "Hidden Defense Budget", "Axis of Pork"

6/10/09  F-22 Lies Exposed   See also  The Bankrupt Empire  various links on waste, and DeBorchgrave on F-22 Congressional waste vs. unmanned drones

5/17/09  F-22 Video on Waste, Cost, Problems  useless for war on terror, $350 million per plane, imagine how money could be saved, built in 44 states to get Congress constituency

5/11/09  About $ One Trillion - Defense Budget Baloney  -Obama's new defense budget

4/05/09  Left and Right Against the Military Industrial Complex  10 ways to cooperate

3/18/09  Soaring Costs Jeopardize Missile Defense Systems likely budget cuts in laser and kinetic energy interceptors, the most promising new technology.  GAO also criticizes for starting manufacture of untested systems  (Remember Bush made test results secret so taxpayers can's focus on waste and/or successes)

3/15/09  More Money Doesn't buy Better Defense  analysis of F-22 costs and quality, purchasing systems, etc.

3/13/09  Incredible Grip of Defense Contractors on Government  "defense contractors haven't needed a "blank check" because they already have the combination to the safe, the PIN number to the account, and a controlling interest on the board of the bank."

3/30/09  7 in 10 Programs Cause $300 Billion Costs Over Budget  Government Accounting Office report lambasts Pentagon acquisitions for waster and bad planning

2/06/09   Pentagon Spends $4.7 Billion Yearly Promoting Military including recruiting, sending out articles, promotions, etc. 27,000 employed for public relations, recruitment, etc

11/30/08  Former Generals' Inside Track For Making Business  TV war promoters, privileged access to senior government officials, conflicts of interest without reporting requirements, money, money, money-- Gen. McCaffrey as an example

11/30/08  MIC Complex Tries Expand NATO to Georgia wants to void former requirements for EU membership and rule of law, modernization

11/14/08  10 Key Reforms For The 2010 Budget  No substantial changes since 1986--suggestions include allowing 18 yr. olds to drink at base clubs, use Air Force, use T-6a's instead of super (expensive) jets for ground support, etc.

11/12/08  "America's Defense Meltdown"  Initial reviews of new book by Center for Defense Information

10/22/2008  U.S. Military's "Bombing Culture"  usually massive civilian casualties for small number of enemy killed

10/20/08 Pentagon Spending Outpaces Auditors    Missing oversight allows growing fraud and abuse

10/08/08  Using Georgia to Start War  100 U.S. advisors with Georgia Army surely aware of attack plans, efforts of MI complex to trigger confrontation with Russia for new spending  Other articles by same writer

10/19/08  $5 Trillion For Wars & Homeland Security since 9/11 --- spending under Bush Republicans totally out of control

10/17/08  Pentagon to Tighten Spending -- Financial crisis will cause difficult cuts on Congress favorites

10/13/08  Pentagon Wants $450 Billion Increase Over Next Five Years  seems to contradict Secretary of Defense warning the military must choose options

10/12/08  Sec. Def. Gates Tries To Reform Waste & Unnecessary Weapons  calls for stronger diplomacy and developmental aid to improve 3rd world security and help bring more hopeful lives -- distinct from Neoconservative budgeting for wars with China and Russia

10/12/08  Insider’s Projects Drained Missile-Defense Millions   for projects military did not want, pushed through by key congressmen & lobbyists

10/02/08 Air Force Wants Hundreds More Jet Fighters   Air Force now has 183 F-22 Raptors, wants 381 at $200 million each -- also wants 1,700 F-35's at $100 million each.  Critics argue that U.S. already controls the skies, that planes irrelevant to war on terror, Air Force says necessary for wars with Iran, Russia, China

9/30/08  The Cost of Boots on the Ground   $500,000 per sergeant or Blackwater guard--incredible cost of combat manpower in the field

9/19/08  US plans to sell Israel 1,000 bunker-buster bombs  $77 million-- think of the money (always) profits from war--claimed as needed for next attack on guerrillas in Lebanon

9/14/08  U.S. Arms Sales Abroad Jump with White House Push $32 Billion so far this year, also from U.S. stocks

8/27/08  700 U.S. Bases Abroad -- reactions as some nations try to get them out

8/22/08  Polish Missile Shield = $4 Billion for Missile Makers  "follow the money" whole deal originally for the money --so ridiculous to say because Iran might attack Europe!!!

8/12/08  More Statistics on the Incredible Military Spending "A well founded principle is to take the basic total budget of the Pentagon (always well publicized) and double it," quoting Robert Higgs

8/04/08  Incredible Out-Sourcing (incompetence) of Intelligence   to private contractors, thousands, government incompetence, inability to categorize & review information, corruption and money, money

7/24/08  U.S. Military Budget Reaches Extreme Heights  $700 billion and climbing ++

1/01/08  Indefensible Spending    America's massive military budget is irrational, costly and dangerous. Why isn't it a campaign issue?  Incredible spending for irrelevant weaponry

5/27/08  Neocons Calling For Larger Army   but no cutbacks in Air or Navy, needed for new interventions in Africa and future wars, no cost estimates.  (We point out that every service person average cost with retirement is $120,000 per year, while some estimates for cost of each combat infantryman in the field is about $400,000 per year.

5/09/08  Pentagon Contractors Using Tax Dodges  avoiding social security & medicare taxes by using offshore companies in Cayman Islands, includes KBR, Halliburton subsidiary, and many more contractors in Iraq, hundreds of millions of dollars of taxes not paid.

4/28/08  Competition Barely Exists in Defense Procurement     and its growing weaker, only 6 major contractors (in l980's there were 20), a design bureau system such as Soviets used

4/22/08  War on Terror Used by Congress for Payoffs to Constituents every state gets on gravy train, petting zoo considered a terrorist target, corruption and commissions, incredible waste and barely protecting vital targets at incredible costs

4/20/08  FOX, CNN Generals Promoted War Lies  Many had financial ties to military industrial complex, promoted earmarks for "their" companies, "Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks." UPDATE Pentagon Suspends TV Generals Briefings

4/14/08  Probe Spotlights Earmarks Corruption  $24,000 campaign contribution gets $2.6 million no-bid contract for Digital Fusion, Inc.--ongoing federal bribery and political-influence investigation at the Army Space and Missile Defense Command.  List of Congressmen with earmarks on Defense Appropriation Subcommittee

4/05/08   The "Military Petroleum Complex"   5.6 Billion Gallons of Oil per year to keep U.S. military moving, e.g. B-52 uses 47,000 gallons for each mission over Afghanistan

4/05/08  Lawmakers Invested in Military Industrial Complex  In 2006, for example, Democrats held at least $3.7 million in military-related investments, compared to Republican investments of $577500.

4/08/08  Future Combat Systems --Army's $200 Billion Program in Trouble -- cost overruns, immature technologies and timetable delays

4/08/08  U.S. Bases Overseas  Updates and Re-Thinking of Strategy   700 bases and seeking more,  several interesting articles in a study by Foreign Policy in Focus, 14 "enduring & massive" bases being set up in Iraq

4/01/08  GAO Blasts Weapons Budget  -breaking down of procurement process, 200-300% cost overruns, "in most cases programs also failed to deliver capabilities when promised," $1.6 trillion of orders are in the pipeline

3/24/08  How the MI Congress Complex Works   Dedicated suppliers spread around in many congressional districts, depending on changes to raise non-competitive prices --system leads to incredible costs and more wars (to use up equipment)

3/10/08   Oil For War  Thousands of tanker trucks, up to $40 per gallon costs to keep military moving in Iraq 

3/10/08  MilitaryIndustrialComplex.com Lots and lots of info-- hard numbers, videos, services breakdown-- a definitive site

2/15/08  Bribery Investigation of Prince Bandar Expanding --BAE paid $1 Billion possible bribes--Follow the money--Saudis threatened British government to stop co-operation and information on terrorists--U.S. judge freezes his assets

2/13/08  A New Global Arms Race  Largest U.S. Defense Budget since World War II

2/10/08  "Military Keynesianism" Critique of American Economy  economic theory to maintain prosperity -- See also Wikipedia

2/09/08  Military Industrial Complex Triggering America's Decline  an Indian "Ghandi" view that U.S. Israel "cult of violence" causing disaster & bankruptcy--American dependence on foreign money, more

11/14/07  Military Industrial Philanthropy -Why Some Stay Silent  very interesting, detailed list of giving to all sorts from girl Scouts to Nature Conservancy, even pacifists, also overseas, even NATO makes gifts--lots of details on why Leftist groups stay pretty silent

10/01/07  Paratroop Divisions are Obsolete and a Big Waste of Money The Magazine of Future Warfare --also includes links to other thoughtful articles on strategy

9/01/07  The Border Patrol Industrial Complex  more money is never enough, infinite needs and demands as every dollar spent triggers needs for more resources--- "The 'threat,' as portrayed to the public, always increases in direct proportion to the amount of money lavished on confronting it"

8/18/07  Big New Lobby for Wars     Private Contractors get billions from government, little disclosure of lobbying, lots of black money to pay bribes, strong economic interest in creating new enemies for America to gain more jobs-- 180,000 persons, 630 companies-- body guards and security personnel earn $650 to $1,000 daily

9/20/07  "Military Industrial Religious Complex" giving religious justification for continuing wars

7/16/07  Some Good News and Success from Phillipines --very bad for the military industrial complex --not costing hundreds of billions of dollars of wasted money

7/15/07  Armaments and Investments   niche stocks soar--"even for people on Wall Street, it's very, very hard to know how much individual companies benefit from classified areas."

4/12/07    "Breaking" the Army   54% of West Point graduates resigning after 5 year commitment, lower levels of intelligence for recruitment, but money still flows for Navy and Air Force

4/11/07    Spending for Retentions Soar $1 Billion in '05, up to 150,000 for senior Special Forces soldiers

3/16/07  The Trillion Dollar Budget is Already Here     $1 Million For Each New Soldier  --presumably includes equipment, perhaps not pensions  Partial reasons for higher costs

3/10/07  There's No Watchdog for Secret Budgets -- massive earmarks, corruption, buying untested electronics, etc

1/28/07  U.S. Plans Anti-Missiles for Poland and Czechs  to protect them from Iran attacking Europe -- millions more business for missile manufacturers

12/19/06  Air Force also Being worn out -- planes wearing out with constant flights in Iraq, tremendous money needs to fulfill new plane contracts, cutting 40,000 men, Army needs for money cutting into big Air Force (& Navy) wants for new equipment

12/15/06  U.S. Army & Marines Being "Hollowed Out" Army Chief of Staff testimony, 10,000 additional soldiers cost $1.2 billion per yr up from $700 million in 2001 because of bonuses & incentives = $120,000 per man (plus maybe retirement benefits--not clear)

12/08/06   Costly Coast Guard Fleet Update Falters  only 25% of cutters are fully "mission capable" oversight given to military contractors without Coast Guard oversight-- ($24 billion modernization effort, each ship costs $564 million NY Times 12/14/06)

10/20/06  The Security-Industrial-Congressional-Complex - 33,890 companies with homeland security contracts. The money is huge. Since 2000, $130 billion of contracts

10/21/06  The New American Cold War  Discrediting democracy by equating it with NATO expansion/encirclement of Russia

9/24/06  Thinking About Cutting Retirement Benefits -- bankrupting costs of 40 year pensions, losing skilled soldiers at 40,

4/29/06  Cost of Putting Each Fighter in War Zone  $400,000 at end of 2005 for Iraq and-- Houston Chronicle 

3/20/06   War Profiteering Page  includes the classic analysis by Smedley Butler written in 1935

2/01/06   "Duke" Cunningham & Corruption in Military Procurement

10/06/05  Already 3rd Most Expensive War in US History  -- already $850 per American, $1.4 trillion before end

10/05/05  Bases, Bases, Everywhere --an empire of bases