Tag: Military-Industrial Complex

Greed & War

I am always going on about the Military-Industrial Complex (M-IC)….how it is this sector of American industry that controls our foreign policy especially when an armed conflict is called for…..

Wars are fought with profits as the bottom line….not ideology……”an used weapon is a useless weapon” sort of thing……

President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his most powerful speech as he left office in 1961. He warned the American people about an emerging military-industrial complex, a complex that was already beginning to erode democratic rule in America. Originally, Ike had Congress as a collaborator with and enabler of that Complex, but he deleted the reference in the final version, apparently deciding that by alienating Members of Congress, he’d only push them further into the Complex’s corner.

The military-industrial complex, the Complex for short, has only grown in power over the last half-century. Today, more than half of Federal discretionary funding goes to it. With the post-9/11 addition of Homeland Security and more and more intelligence agencies (seventeen of them at last count), the Complex continues to grow like Topsy. It consumes roughly $750 billion each and every year, a sum likely to grow whether Trump or Clinton wins the presidency. (Trump has promised to rebuild an allegedly shattered military; Clinton, meanwhile, is a steadfast supporter of the military as well as neo-con principles of aggressive foreign interventionism.)

Source: Greed-War: The Power and Danger of the Military-Industrial Complex – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

We were warned about the effects of the M-IC on our country and the world….we chose to ignore it and now we have war and death as a daily reminder of our ignorance.

Is War On Terror A Ruse To Enrich The US?

I enjoy research for it makes me search every dark corner of the subject…..there you find some amazing stuff and you also find some crap that only a demented mind could come up with…..

Ever noticed that when it becomes necessary the MSM will drop the “T” word…..terrorism…..especially if they want to get the readers attention…..

This opinion piece makes valid points but I think that it is more that the military-industrial complex (M-IC)…..more than to enrich the country…..there are many defense contractors that are making cash hand over fist…..and none of it is to benefit of the nation…their desires are purely egocentric.  The only ones that benefit from this are the many defense contractors and our corrupt government officials……the country is not enriched…individuals are.

The War on Terror has become a war of terror, a smokescreen for the pursuit of Western global hegemony, writes Firoz Osman.

The death and destruction that followed the attack on the US on September 11, 2001 unleashed a tragedy of mammoth proportions globally, with Islam and the Muslim world being portrayed as the single most dangerous threat to global stability today.

President George Bush declared a “crusade” against the perpetrators. The campaign was given the name “Operation Infinite Justice”, but because of its religious connotations and obvious anti-Islamic links, the US settled on “War on Terror”.

Source: OPINION: War on Terror a ruse to enrich US | IOL

The War on Terror while originally was started for revenge for the 9/11 attacks….has morphed into a money making scheme that will take decades or longer to break.

While thanx to the War on Terror the US is safer now than it has been in the past…..the problem is that the rest of the world cannot say the same thing…..

The United States is known for its mighty contributions to technological advancements, medical breakthroughs, art and literature – but it is a country that is not always associated with self-reflection. You see, America has little time for navel gazing, because dominating the world order is a full-time chore.

This Sunday marks 15 years since the most nation-shaping moment in the last 50 years of US history: the attacks of 11 September 2001. While the unprovoked Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in 1941 defined a world for those Americans born in the early 20th century, the al-Qaeda orchestrated attacks on New York and Washington DC have come to define a world for those born at the end of the previous century and the start of the current one.

It’s high time for a little self-reflection, even navel gazing, if you will.

Source: After 9/11: America may be safer but the rest of the world pays the price | Middle East Eye

While I am sure that there are many that think that since the US is safe then all is well in the world……not in these days when the planet is basically one large community….

Why the Military-Industrial Complex Loves Hillary

Since the American voter is too lazy to look for alternatives we will probably get another Clinton as president….and because of that we will have a country and a foreign policy run by the M-IC.

What does that mean?

More war and more interventionism across the globe…..because the M-IC loves them some Hillary….

Military contractors are overwhelmingly favoring Hillary Clinton for president with their political contributions this year. Though Republicans normally enjoy a slight fundraising advantage here, she currently leads Donald Trump 5-to-1 among donations from employees of the top 25 firms in this extremely lucrative, highly government dependent industry.

An article in Politico last week tried to put a good face on this for Clinton. One consultant called Trump a “totally unknown quantity” and “scary.” Unnamed “defense watchers” say that Clinton “offers what weapons makers crave most: predictability.”

Source: Why the Military-Industrial Complex Loves Hillary | The American Spectator

Wait! Speaking of defense contractors…..

President Barack Obama announced last month that he plans to further delay the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, leaving at least 8,400 forces in the country after January instead of honoring his most recent pledge to cut numbers to 5,500.

Now, a new report compiled by the Congressional Research Service, which produces reports for members of Congress, reveals that the number of U.S. service members in Afghanistan is dwarfed by the nearly 29,000 Department of Defense private contractors in the country, outnumbering American troops three to one.

Source: In Afghanistan, Defense Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops 3 to 1 | Alternet

We have at least 4 more years to look forward to more interventionism, confrontation and war…

You voted for it….you got it!

The Many Purposes of War

Back in the 60’s there was a song by Edwin Starr that asked the question….”War, what is it go for?”

An excellent question and it will depend on who you talk to for the answer.

I found a good article that answers this question…..answered them for me…..I guess you decide if it answers your question.

Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian military theorist who wrote at the end of the Napoleonic Era, is noted for saying that war is a continuation of politics.  That saying explains much of current U.S. military war-making, but only if you first and foremost focus on domestic politics – and economics.

Wars make money for weapons makers, and the U.S. dominates the world’s arms trade.  Wars require a large “defense” establishment, and the U.S. national security state has essentially become a fourth branch of government that threatens to eat the rest.  Wars tend to strengthen reactionary elements within society, shunting to the fringes those who argue for peace amid a climate of fear.  Wars, in short, have their purposes – it’s just that the salient ones often differ from the stated ones.  For clarity, it often helps to follow the money.  Who profits from war?  Addressing that question will explain many of the reasons why America’s wars have no promise of ending

Source: The Many Purposes of War – LA Progressive

I keep saying it….and usually at the top of my lungs….Americans need to get off their asses and demand that all the war come to a halt.  NOW!

I will do what I must to focus the people on the real problems with our society….WAR AND MORE WAR!

Endless War, Endless Greed

Anyone that visits this site already knows just how much I dislike the M-IC….these toads start wars for one reason only….profits.  I know…I know most of this post is common knowledge….but we Americans need things hammered into our minds before we grasp it.

After reading this piece my hatred is just strengthened…….shameful to use the violence of war to make a buck…..and pathetic to use American lives as their cash account……

These days, lamenting the apparently aimless character of Washington’s military operations in the Greater Middle East has become conventional wisdom among administration critics of every sort. Senator John McCain thunders that “this president has no strategy to successfully reverse the tide of slaughter and mayhem” in that region. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies bemoans the “lack of a viable and public strategy.” Andrew Bacevich suggests that “there is no strategy. None. Zilch.”

After 15 years of grinding war with no obvious end in sight, U.S. military operations certainly deserve such obloquy. But the pundit outrage may be misplaced. Focusing on Washington rather than on distant war zones, it becomes clear that the military establishment does indeed have a strategy, a highly successful one, which is to protect and enhance its own prosperity.

Source: Endless War, Endless Greed: The Pentagon Is Lining Its Pockets with Taxpayer Dollars | Alternet

Where does this all end?

I apologize if I sound like a stuck record…but I will continue this pursuit as long as the American public turns a blind eye to the real reasons for all these conflicts that the government feels we MUST fight.

IKE Knows Best

My last post of the day will be a little history (I can hear the sighs and see the eye rolls…..buck up….you will get over it)

I am always going on about the Military-Industrial Complex (M-IC)….basically it is the defense industry and all their contracts……and it has destroyed the fabric of our society….

I will admit that I did like Ike….while I am NO Republican or conservative by any stretch of the imagination there was something about Ike and his policies that I can appreciate.  I am not saying that I agreed with everything that he set about doing just there were some parts of his admin policies that I can appreciate.

But mostly I appreciate his warning about the M-IC back in 1961 in his speech to the nation……

But thanx to the magic of social media…..you do not have to take my word for it….instead you can watch the speech for yourself……

Sadly no one would heed his warning and look what we have done today…..perpetual war.

Another thing….how did the Republicans go from Ike to the morons they have today?

But if you are still confused on what Ike was speaking about….I can help with that…….

There are the news stories that genuinely surprise you, and then there are the ones that you could write in your sleep before they happen. Let me concoct an example for you:“Top American and European military leaders are weighing options to step up the fight against the Islamic State in the Mideast, including possibly sending more U.S. forces into Iraq, Syria, and Libya, just as Washington confirmed the second American combat casualty in Iraq in as many months.”

Oh wait, that was actually the lead sentence in a May 3rd Washington Times piece by Carlo Muñoz.  Honestly, though, it could have been written anytime in the last few months by just about anyone paying any attention whatsoever, and it surely will prove reusable in the months to come (with casualty figures altered, of course).  The sad truth is that across the Greater Middle East and expanding parts of Africa, a similar set of lines could be written ahead of time about the use of Special Operations forces, drones, advisers, whatever, as could the sorry results of making such moves in [add the name of your country of choice here].

Source: Washington’s Military Addiction and the Ruins Still to Come | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

The M-IC feeds this beast that we have created…..IKE was very prophetic…..shame his warning was not heeded.

Only the Pentagon Could Spend $640 on a Toilet Seat

I try to point out just how much money the Pentagon wastes in the course of “doing business”…..we all know the famous stories of a $1000 screw or the $200 hammer and of course the “famous” $600 toilet seat…..but the waste goes much deeper than those that get highlighted occasionally….

What your tax dollars go towards at America’s defense headquarters.

From spending $150 million on private villas for a handful of personnel in Afghanistan to blowing $2.7 billion on an air surveillance balloon that doesn’t work, the latest revelations of waste at the Pentagon are just the most recent howlers in a long line of similar stories stretching back at least five decades.  Other hot-off-the-presses examples would include the Army’s purchase of helicopter gears worth $500 each for $8,000 each and the accumulation of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons components that will never be used. And then there’s the one that would have to be everyone’s favorite Pentagon waste story: the spending of $50,000 to investigate the bomb-detecting capabilities of African elephants. (And here’s a shock: they didn’t turn out to be that great!) The elephant research, of course, represents chump change in the Pentagon’s wastage sweepstakes and in the context of its $600-billion-plus budget, but think of it as indicative of the absurd lengths the Department of Defense will go to when what’s at stake is throwing away taxpayer dollars.

Source: Only the Pentagon Could Spend $640 on a Toilet Seat | The Nation

Yes this is an awful waste……if we accept that then the next point is how did this happen?

From spending $150 million on private villas for a handful of personnel in Afghanistan to blowing $2.7 billion on an air surveillance balloon that doesn’t work, the latest revelations of waste at the Pentagon are just the most recent howlers in a long line of similar stories stretching back at least five decades. Other hot-off-the-presses examples would include the Army’s purchase of helicopter gears worth $500 each for $8,000 each and the accumulation of billions of dollars’ worth of weapons components that will never be used. And then there’s the one that would have to be everyone’s favorite Pentagon waste story: the spending of $50,000 to investigate the bomb-detecting capabilities of African elephants. (And here’s a shock: they didn’t turn out to be that great!) The elephant research, of course, represents chump change in the Pentagon’s wastage sweepstakes and in the context of its $600-billion-plus budget, but think of it as indicative of the absurd lengths the Department of Defense will go to when what’s at stake is throwing away taxpayer dollars.

Source: How Not to Audit the Pentagon | The American Conservative

The truly sad part is that many Americans DO NOT care how much is wasted as long as it is not wasted on poor people or hungry people…..pathetic!

What Would Pres. Trump Mean To M-IC?

I realize that most people think I do not like Mr. Trump…..well they are correct.  Not from some political ideological point but rather that he will not be good for this country on so many levels.

He, Trump, may be a successful (debatable) businessman but his rhetoric could do damage to our defense industry (it needs to be shaken up a bit)….now that could be a good thing it could help us get out of the war business…….but it could also be disastrous to our economy.

Say what?

As Mr. Trump closes in on the GOP nomination for 2016 there is a massive attacks of panic, especially around the Military-Industrial Complex (M-IC).  I’m sure that most that read IST realize that the biggest and most profitable industry in the US is the manufacturing of weapons and weapon systems.

Mr. Trump has promised to bring back jobs to America and to make this country prosperous again.  Unfortunately is his rhetoric has the M-IC running a bit worried…..

This is a piece written by Sierra Rayne for the American Thinker……

Donald Trump’s views on immigration and Islam are not just polarizing public opinion and the media, but also causing waves within the American defense sector.

Defense One reports that “if Trump wins, expect thousands of defense jobs to move to Europe[.] … The GOP frontrunner’s anti-Muslim comments could prompt U.S. allies to shop elsewhere for arms.”

According to Byron Callan, an analyst with research firm Capital Alpha Partners, “President Trump may prove offensive to Islamic states and those countries could seek alternative sources of weapons systems.”

Another defense industry lobbyist was quoted as saying “anti-Muslim rhetoric absolutely does not help when you’re trying to sell to the Middle East.”

Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, broadened the issue to other nations for which arms exports are important: “Trump’s nationalistic comments could have ripples beyond the Middle East. ‘Do you really think that Europeans, or Asians, or Latin Americans are going to be any more trusting?’”

This rhetoric could be for the benefit of the election and Mr. Trump is not this nationalistic.  Or it could be the corner stone of his foreign policy and if it is then many American jobs will be lost and the industry will suffer if he is elected to the presidency.
The question now is, if he wins the nomination will the rhetoric tone down or will he stick to his guns (no pun intended) and ruin America’s most profitable industry?
This is your chance to defend or condemn.

Donald Vs War Hawks

The candidates for 2016 give me lots of fodder for me to attack their stands and their ideas for international relations…..to be totally honest….I am NOT impressed with any of the candidates for either party….they show me that there is NOT enough emphasis put on foreign relations….instead they set about convincing the mental midgets that they will “turn” the country around (whatever that is suppose to mean)…..and in the meantime their policy will sink the US further into the shit-hole of armed conflicts….too many to count…..

I will step away from the soapbox now……

My main concern in this election is just what will be the future of our interventionism with a new president….the past has been a absolute disaster……Bush and Obama have done nothing to improve our standing in the world….in arms delivery system we have no match…..but as a nation that can avoid war and find solutions to [problems we are a dismal failure…..

Today I would like to touch on candidate Donald Trump and his policies that have the neo-con war hawks pissed off and a little bit afraid for their future….

Neo-cons are those people that thump their chests like crazed primates but somehow manage to stay well away from any actual fighting…..

The neocons are renowned for their courage on the battlefield. There is no keyboard they are afraid to finger. No pen they won’t commandeer. When the battle cry is sounded, they unhesitatingly push the “on” button at their computers and saddle up for battle. Off with the loafers and under the desk! “Caution to the […]

Source: Neocon Armchair Warhawks Panic Over Trump Foreign Policy – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

The war hawks have been all choked up because of Trump’s rise to fame…..they are pushing all the buttons to try and head him, Trump, off at the pass…..

Neoconservatives, led by Eliot Cohen, a former counselor of the Department of State under Bush, and Bryan McGrath, managing director at defense contractor FerryBridge Group, penned an open letter along with 100 signatories committing themselves not to support any GOP ticket that includes Trump, writing that the Donald, “would use the authority of his office to act in ways that make America less safe, and which would diminish our standing in the world.”

Source: Neocons Are Freaking out Over Trump and It’s Hilarious | Alternet

I have been a very vocal opponent of anything neo-conservative I think they have done more harm to the reputation of the US than any one single act that we may have committed…..so to hear that these toads are running around with their heads firmly up their butts, crying foul…..just makes my day…..them having massive strokes would do the world a great favor and it turn perhaps save countless American lives….(if that sounds too harsh then maybe you should join the military and have to deal with their actions first hand)……

I could not ever vote for Trump…..but it pleases me to see him give so much grief to the toads that call themselves war hawks…..these toads need to be put in their place and I do not care who it is that does so…..even the Donald!

Go Donald…..keep up the good work!  After all there is still much treasure we have not committed to foreign wars….

Flies Under The Banner Of “American Exceptionalism”

There has been a bunch of debate about the term “American exceptionalism”…..I have argued that so much intervention by the US has it fighting battles that it should have avoided…..

I read an interesting article along those lines in the Washington Times…..(I know…go figure)…….

The modus operandi of the multi-trillion dollar military-industrial-terrorism complex (MITC) is as transparent as is Donald Trump’s narcissism.

The MITC manufactures conflicts by gratuitous interventions abroad. Then it demands trillions of dollars and limitless time to defeat the monsters it created.

The MITC bonanza never ends.

What stuns is not the modus operandi. All organizations covet expansion for the sake of expansion. What amazes is the willingness of the President, Congress, and the American people to feed a failed enterprise

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/10/bruce-fein-military-industrial-terrorism-complex-t/print/

Please read and comment.  I am trying to help people see what is happening and it has little to do with some idle campaign promise or slogan……there are so many players that are playing the public like a cheap drum….and the media is a prime player in this drama…..

Take a little time and educate yourself…..it only hurts for a little while……