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I really think that Eisenhower's warning regarding the power of the MIA was eerily prophetic. Eisenhower may have overall been a mediocre president, but what was said in that farewell speech has been responsible for much of chaos and destruction that the world has seen in the last fifty years.
Defense contractors are one of the most, if not THE most influencial lobbying sector in the government. I mean this seriously. Oil and gas has NOTHING next to this sector (then again their interests coincide more often than not). It's huge. That's because it's not quite as simple as it being Lockheed Martin and Boieing. It's about GE, CAT and all the other major industrial corporations that have a stronghold on the government today.
Partly because of their influence, we give billions of dollars in military aid to some of the worst violators of human rights on the planet. We create wars we don't fight in, and destabilize nations, so we have a chance to give money to them, so that they "buy" our military equipment.
It's a twisted way of laundering money into these companies and really is an example of corporate welfare and pork barrel politics at its ABSOLUTE WORST. That's all it is. We give 3 billion dollars to Israel yearly, most of it in military "aid" (Israel is not a third world nation and could defend itself). I have no idea how people can defend this sort of aid -- not only to Israel -- but to many other nations as well. Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and a whole host of other nations are beneficiaries of this disgusting system.
It is true, the US is not the only nation responsible for this proliferation of weapons around the world. Far from it -- Russia, China, France, Britain, Israel, and other nations all do this. The major difference is that the US gives the money as military AID with the main reason of buying weapons from these contractors. The other nations simply peddle them for profit (also moral repugnant of course). Either way any US claims of moral credibility or superiority is a great joke.
I would propose an end to ALL military aid -- to all nations. Military aid is needed in only the rarest of circumstances. The only time I can really recall it being justified was Lend Lease during WWII.
I think it would go a long way in reducing conflict. Of course it wouldn't completely, but the fans that fuel the flames of conflict would be less strong. This would also be a great test of the UN if the US (under Kerry) were to propose a resulution that would ban aid given to other nations with the sole reason of buying military equipment.
Either way, such a thing would never pass.
Anyways, what are your opinions on the amount of power defense contractors have on government and foreign policy especially? How can their power be weakened?
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