Tag: military-industrial complex

Making Mahem [sic]

In his State of the Union address, President Obama lauded two fruits that fell from the tree of government support for the basic research of “cutting-edge scientists and inventors”: the Internet and GPS. Though he didn’t mention it, that wasn’t just any old “government support” and they weren’t just any old “cutting-edge scientists and inventors.” … Continue reading “Making Mahem [sic]”

From Military-Industrial Complex to Permanent War State

Fifty years after Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Jan. 17, 1961, speech on the “military-industrial complex,” that threat has morphed into a far more powerful and sinister force than Eisenhower could have imagined. It has become a “permanent war state,” with the power to keep the United States at war continuously for the indefinite future. But despite … Continue reading “From Military-Industrial Complex to Permanent War State”

Defense Contractors Insulated from Budget Cuts

In one of U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower’s most remembered speeches, he warned against "the acquisition of unwarranted influence" resulting from the close brotherhood between the country’s defense agencies, Capitol Hill and private business interests. Fifty years later, the Republican leader’s Jan. 17, 1961 admonition of the military-industrial–Congressional complex is as relevant as ever, argues … Continue reading “Defense Contractors Insulated from Budget Cuts”

Lockheed Martin’s Shadow Government

As a boy in the 1950s, I can remember my father, a World War II vet, becoming livid while insisting that our family not shop at a local grocery store. Its owners, he swore, had been “war profiteers” and he would never forgive them. He practically spat the phrase out. I have no idea whether … Continue reading “Lockheed Martin’s Shadow Government”

The Stimulus Package in Kabul

You must have had a moment when you thought to yourself: It really isn’t going to end, is it? Not ever. Rationally, you know perfectly well that whatever your “it” might be will indeed end, because everything does, but your gut tells you something different. I had that moment recently when it came to the … Continue reading “The Stimulus Package in Kabul”

Multi-Billion-Dollar Arms Deals Could Haunt US

UNITED NATIONS – When the shah of Iran, a strongly pro-U.S. ally, was ousted from power after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the stridently anti-U.S. regime of Ayatollah Khomeini that captured power also inherited a military bonanza: billions of dollars worth of state-of-the-art weapons provided by the United States. The U.S. equipment in the Iranian … Continue reading “Multi-Billion-Dollar Arms Deals Could Haunt US”

The Military-Industrial Complex, Plus Congress

In his farewell address to the nation, Jan. 17, 1961, President Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex. At the time, the U.S. defense budget accounted for 47 percent of the world’s arms expenditures; today it is over 50 percent. Eisenhower advised: “This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new … Continue reading “The Military-Industrial Complex, Plus Congress”

Saudi Arms Deal Is About Iran

Listen to Rep. Paul deliver this speech by clicking here. This month the U.S. administration notified Congress that it intends to complete one of the largest arms sales in U.S. history to one of the most repressive regimes on earth. Saudi Arabia has been given the green light by the administration to spend $60 billion … Continue reading “Saudi Arms Deal Is About Iran”

New START: Arms Affirmation Treaty

The New START treaty should at best be called an “arms affirmation treaty,” confirming that expensive weapons systems, which include the nation’s nuclear arsenal, remain a national priority. Like the earlier Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, New START insulates nuclear weapons spending, as well as large budgets for other weapons systems. Thus far, the ratification debate … Continue reading “New START: Arms Affirmation Treaty”

New START’s Big Winners: US Nuke Complex, Pentagon, and Contractors

The passage of New START in a 14-4 vote out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is already being hailed by Democrats and arms-control NGOs as a substantial victory. A floor vote for ratification is now apparently set to occur after the elections. While ratification is by no means guaranteed, there are several clear winners … Continue reading “New START’s Big Winners: US Nuke Complex, Pentagon, and Contractors”