The Military-Industrial Complex

Sprafa

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is very well alive.

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Military-industrial_complex

Military-industrial complex

The birth of the military-industrial complex was described on January 17, 1961, by President Dwight David Eisenhower in his farewell address to the nation in what is called his Military Industrial Complex Speech:

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

"We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

The military-industrial complex is generally defined as a "coalition consisting of the military and industrialists who profit by manufacturing arms and selling them to the government." (War profiteering) Eisenhower related, however, that until World War II, the United States did not have an armaments industry. Even though "American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well," the United States could "no longer risk emergency improvisation" of the country's national defense.[1]

The United States, he continues, had been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. At that time, the U.S. was annually spending more on military security "than the net income of all United States corporations." This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry, he said, was "new in the American experience" and that there was an imperative need for this development.[2]

Weapons Procurement 1998-2003

In 1999, according to Foreign Policy in Focus, "the military-industrial complex did not fade away with the end of the cold war. It has simply reorganized itself."

"As a result of a rash of military-industry mergers encouraged and subsidized by the Clinton administration," it continues, "the Big Three weapons makers--Lockheed Martin Corporation, Boeing Corporation, and Raytheon Corporation--now receive among themselves over $30 billion per year in Pentagon contracts. This represents more than one out of every four dollars that the Defense Department doles out for everything from rifles to rockets."[3]

When this article was posted in 1999, the Clinton Administration five-year budget plan for the Pentagon called for a 50% increase in weapons procurement, which would be an increase from $44 billion per year to over $63 billion per year by 2003. Additionally, the arms industry launched "a concerted lobbying campaign aimed at increasing military spending and arms exports. These initiatives are driven by profit and pork barrel politics, not by an objective assessment of how best to defend the United States in the post-cold war period."[4]

The New Military-Industrial Complex

Writing for the March 2003 issue of Business2.0, Ian Mount, David H. Freedman, and Matthew Maier address what is now called the New military-industrial complex. As anyone who has been following the current war in Iraq is well aware, "the nature of the battle" is "unlike anything the world has ever known." Afghanistan, the writers say, "provided a glimpse of the latest generation of high-tech weaponry, but it was only a glimpse. A major assault by combined American forces will provide a full demonstration of the military's new doctrine of faster, lighter, smarter warfare -- combat in which cutting-edge technology becomes U.S. troops' deadliest weapon. The Pentagon calls this new doctrine RMA, for revolution in military affairs, and it's made possible not just by fresh thinking in the Pentagon but also by a subtle shift in the ranks of U.S. defense contractors. In building its new high-tech arsenal, the United States has also created a new military-industrial complex."[5]

"When it comes to military spending, the tradition of the iron triangle -Congress, the Pentagon, and defense industries - joining to push costly weaponry is nothing new." In his speech, Eisenhower said that "The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."[6]

The Military-Industrial-Think Tank Complex

W Each major element of the George Walker Bush administration's national security strategy -- from the doctrines of preemptive strikes and "regime change" in Iraq, to its aggressive nuclear posture and commitment to deploying a Star Wars-style missile defense system -- was developed and refined before the Bush administration took office, at corporate-backed conservative think tanks like the Center for Security Policy, the National Institute for Public Policy and the Project for a New American Century.

Unilateralist ideologues formerly affiliated with these think tanks, along with the 32 major administration appointees who are former executives with, consultants for, or significant shareholders of top Defense contractors, are driving U.S. foreign and military policy.

The arms lobby is exerting more influence over policymaking than at any time since President Dwight D. Eisenhower first warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex over 40 years ago.

It is not just industry-backed think tanks that have infiltrated the administration. Former executives, consultants or shareholders of top U.S. defense companies pervade the Bush national security team.

Exploiting the fears following 9/11, and impervious to budgetary constraints imposed on virtually every other form of federal spending, the ideologue-industry nexus is driving the United States to war in Iraq and a permanently aggressive war-fighting posture that will simultaneously starve other government programs and make the world a much more dangerous place.

The overarching concern of the ideologues and the arms industry is to increase military spending. On this score, they have been tremendously successful. In its two years in office, the Bush administration has sought more than $150 billion in new military spending, the vast majority of which has been approved by Congress with few questions asked. Spending on national defense is nearing $400 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2003, up from $329 billion when Bush took office. "

Related : The Bilderberg Group , The Carlyle Group , The Trilateral Comission


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They always win.

trillions of USD > you
 
"In the counsels of Government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the Military Industrial Complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes." - President Dwight Eisenhower, January 1961.


too late

nice find sprafa, here's another interesting read
 
Well since no counter point has come in here and said anything, i'll play devils advocate and role play for a moment...


*Ahem*


You stupid liberal pussies, you conspiracies make me laugh, hahahahah go back to france you pinko commie tree huggin' bleeding heart, save the planet punks.

Besides old george wouldn't do that, in fact, the only reason we are in iraq right now is to save the purple bunnies. Don't you get it? How un patriotic can you guys be? WE DID IT FOR TEH BUNNIESS!!!!!!!1111111111ONE
 
Goddamit, people don't call Bush George, it confuses me, you know there are many Georges with different oppinions out there, just look at the difference between George monbiot:))) and Bush:)().
So pleae next time call George Bush, Bush k :) I would appreciate it.
Oh yeah and you stupid pancie wankers stop ****ing with Bush, if you don't like him go live in North Korea or France/Germany.
 
You stupid liberal pussies, you conspiracies make me laugh, hahahahah go back to france you pinko commie tree huggin' bleeding heart, save the planet punks.

Besides old george wouldn't do that, in fact, the only reason we are in iraq right now is to save the purple bunnies. Don't you get it? How un patriotic can you guys be? WE DID IT FOR TEH BUNNIESS!!!!!!!1111111111ONE
Ahem, it isnt us conservatives that usually sound like that. If you need, read back over the debate topics. Coming from many liberals: We r pwning ur asses. GW is done. PWNED!
Then, as pointed out in another thread, liberals tend to insult rather than congratulate conservatives on the election. Suprise? Not to me. Sure you can be pissed your guy lost, but I havent seen a single post saying job well done. Notice athletes shake hands after a game, win or lose.
 
I think its funny how this always turns into a liberals vs. conservative battle.

He was taking a side just stating a fact. You guys can't debate crap unless you have your own sources to refute it.
 
This has nothing to do with that idiotic liberals vs conservative bullshit. We are all ruled by the same masters.
 
Sprafa said:
This has nothing to do with that idiotic liberals vs conservative bullshit. We are all ruled by the same masters.

exactly. hence why the clinton adminidtration was pointed out also for increasing this budget
 
Agh, the Bilderberg Group!, their suspected Illuminati., there name always pops up at the top, I dont think it goes much higher than the Bilderberg's, the top influencial elite of the modern world.
 
clarky003 said:
Agh, the Bilderberg Group!, their suspected Illuminati., there name always pops up at the top, I dont think it goes much higher than the Bilderberg's, the top influencial elite of the modern world.

At least 16$ billion are on the hands of the Carlyle :p
 
clarky003 said:
Agh, the Bilderberg Group!, their suspected Illuminati., there name always pops up at the top, I dont think it goes much higher than the Bilderberg's, the top influencial elite of the modern world.

Portuguese post-Bilderberg developments

Participant: Lopes, Pedro M. Santana - Mayor of Lisbon


Is now the unelected (appointed by Republic President) Prime Minister.

Durão Barroso, former Prime Minister, now president of European Comission, officially resigned in 29 June.

A political crisis begun on 10th June, day of European Elections, ending at the end of the month.

Lope's name first rumored as future PM around 28 June. That day he stated it was not true he was invited.

Participant: Socrates, Jose - Member of Parliament

Former Environment Minister, hated by most, popular because he had a prime-time talkshow with Pedro Santana Lopes, where both discussed national politic.

Is, since Sunday 26th September 2004, the leader of the principal opposition party. Probably next Prime Minister, just a matter of how far this government will last.

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You will notice that in 2003, there where two other Portuguese participants.

Barroso, José M. Durão - Prime Minister

Now president of European Commission, replaced by Santana Lopes.

Rodrigues, Eduardo Ferro - Leader of the Socialist Party; Member of Parliament

Resigned in a social/political crisis envolving paedophilie, is place was took by José Socrates.


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I just wanted to check it out.... I thought Portugal wasn't.... in the plan!!!
 
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