 America: a Beacon, not a Policeman |
The New Military Industrial Congress Complex Nearly 3 times pre 9-11 spending, as much as to fight cold war with world communism |
Americans Against World Empire, Inc. Homepage
|
| America: a Beacon, not a Policeman |
The New Military Industrial Congress Complex Nearly 3 times pre 9-11 spending, as much as to fight cold war with world communism |
Americans Against World Empire, Inc. Homepage
|
| Now it's
called the Military-Industrial-Congress Complex, as weapons manufacturers have assembled
sub-contractors in every state, e.g. the F-22 has a thousand of them in 42 states.
On any war or bombing issue most establishment Republicans and Democrats are in favor
(witness the Republican Senate Committee Chairmen who supported bombing Serbia) while it
was Freshman/Sophomore Republicans in Congress and old Liberals and minorities which were
more opposed. Washington's establishment -- journalists, think tanks, military, Congressmen, security bureaucracies nearly all thrive on war and conflict overseas--think of hundreds of thousands of dollars expenses and weeks in the best Italian hotels for a CIA group to kidnap one Arab. Pro-war Think Tank intellectuals, subsidized by the Complex, are a new, major force for promoting wars. Their trained, practiced, credentialed spokesmen and lifetime as Washington insiders give authority and academic gravitas to War Party objectives. When Bush first came in, before 9/11, they made aggressive tones towards Russia, then conflict with China was strongly promoted, now it's the Muslims, but any war will do. Earmarks, 15,000 of them in the '06 defense budget, have become a major new source of funding for the War Party. New billions of dollars are sent, without hearings, unquestioned because they are for "defense," to Congressional districts, out of which come support and donations to campaigns to insure incumbent re-election. And now also the new system of private contractors has created a whole new constituency for more wars. And why, when new weapons are so incredibly accurate, do we still need so many planes and ships, bombs and missiles? It's the profits in making them. We see no debate on this subject. 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, is http://worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/reports/TiesThatBind.html 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,
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 |
3/25/04 Was It All Planned? Concern for military budget cuts in 1989, looking for new doctrine to justify vast military, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Powell planned together
2/14/05 Analysis of new Defense Budget Independent Institute
12/22/04 Iraq War a Success (for military industrial congress complex) -- follow the money and interests of those who sponsored it. See also Return of the Military Industrial Complex
6/10/04 Congress Backs Pentagon Budget Heavy on Future Weapons F-22 has 1,000 sub-contractors in 43 states
5/3/04 Military Industrial Complexes Today by Karen Kwiatkowski
2/1/04 How Weapons Makers Shape Foreign & Military Policy information is dated but good for research
No Rogue Nation Credible Missile Threat & Mythical N. Korea Threat
The Waste on Offensive Weapons
F-22's to fight Russian planes which don't exist Osprey Costing More Billions --time to cancel itFake Testing of Missile Defense, Cover up, Billions Being Wasted
Congress Backs Pentagon Budget Heavy on Future Weapons
F-22 has 1,000 sub-contractors in 43 statesPentagon-Neocons' Advisory Panel --9 linked to billions of Pentagon contracts - War wanters' profits
Military-Industrial Lobby - How it Works -guts arms control treaties so as to push new weaponry--retired generals, think tanks, wars
Military-Industrial Complex Update follow the money
Military-Industrial Lobby -guts arms control treaties so as to push new weaponry--retired generals, think tanks, wars
http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/papers/micr/mission.html
--Excellent Analysis--Why a 2 war strategy, Why are we
spending nearly as much as before communist collapse?
America's Most Lethal Export--Selling Hi-tech Weapons Abroad and then asking Congress for
newer weapons funding because foreigners own and know about our current hi-tech
weapons. NEW YORK TIMES article by Oscar Arias, Noble Peace Prize winner.
Welfare for Weapons Manufacturers
Stock Market Profits for Weapons Manufacturers, List of Top Companies, Spending Breakdowns
Cold War 2, Kosovo's Legacy Was it all planned to create a new Cold War 2 for interested parties. Barbara Ehrenreich thinks so in this well thought out piece sent to us from a reader of the LA WEEKLY.
Military-Industrial Complex 40 years later
Waste in U.S. Military Budget irrelevant weapons, bloated officer corps, "a brontosaurus with three teeth"
Congress Backs
Pentagon Budget Heavy on Future Weapons F-22 has
1,000 sub-contractors in 43 states
Copyright © 2006 Americans Against World Empire, Inc. All rights reserved
4/29/06