Does the presence of a large Military-Industrial Complex in and of itself

[KlatooBNikto]

make it necessary for our administrations to seek wars?

I bring this up because these businesses, like Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop and others pride themselves on their technological wizardry.That activity requires huge scads of money.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, and everyone started talking about the Peace Dividend, it must have sent a shiver down the spines of these corporations.

Lo and behold, we have manufactured an enemy to lat us two more lifetimes. The new weapons systems and the moneys they will need will start gushing into Lockheed again.

[designforce]

1. Right you are

Rather than turning our efforts towards peaceful uses of technology we will continue down the road to self destruction.

Imagine if we had turned our efforts to energy research rather than building another bomber or new nuke?

The possibilities are endless and all we have to do is devote the same resources to peaceful R&D rather than towards never ending war, be it hot or cold.

I was hoping that we would be there by now after the cold war was over, but I was wrong.

I can only hope the future will be better after King George and his gang are gone.

Make peace you idiots......!

[punpirate]

2. In answer to your question, yes.

Trying out the technology breeds the need for more of the same.

Expending weapons requires not only their replacement, but their improvement, as well.

Both replacement and improvement profit defense-related firms. Once begun, it's a neverending cycle.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. The mentality of a Lockheed employee is puzzling.

They will tear down everybody else's welfare system, then turn around and claim that the government owes them a living because they provide the nation with a service that no one else can provide. In other words, a corporation with all the private benefits, but with public resources and financing at their disposal.

They also resent Affirmative Action in ways that is a major concern for a federally funded organization. There have been firings going on in Lockheed and the white males are convinced that it's only white men who are impacted. What's probably happening is that the men who have not kept up with technology are being weeded out. Something Lockheed would be entitled to do because Florida is a Right to Work state (which really means right to fire) and because Lockheed would have a BFOQ. Bonofide Occupation Qualification, to have employees who know the latest technology. That would mean that the oldest men are being eliminated, and those men are probably mostly white.

It would be helpful if Lockheed would take time to explain this to their people, instead of allowing these racial misunderstandings to continue.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

7. Devout Christians support AA and social programs for the poor.

Michael Ruppert strongly supports AA and speaks about it in his lectures on U.S. Imperialism and Global Hegemony.

Looks like Putin is getting ready to put it to the shrub, stay tuned. Seems the world has smelled a rat... what took them so long?

[Hugin]

4. Good post...

Stay tuned for my 1000th post. I'll be beating a very
similar drum.

:)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Addicted To War Dot Com read the book

ADDICTED
TO WAR
Why the U.S. Can't
Kick Militarism

an illustrated exposé by

Joel Andreas

Over 200,000 in print
Endorsed by Veterans for Peace


http://www.evolvefish.com/fish/product1736.html

[KlatooBNikto]

6. Looks interesting.Will read it.Thanks.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Yes. Historically...

nations with huge standing armies and navies have always managed to find ways to use them.

Several things happen--

They are used simply because they are there and they are available.

Some in the military call for periodic war because they need people actualy experienced in combat when a real need arises.

The cost is staggereing, and acxtually fighting a war is used as justification for spending money on the ability to fight a war.

In many cases, war becomes profitable-- territory is gained, trade is enforced, loot and booty is taken...

Also historically, nations with huge standing armies tend to go broke. The nation's limited resources are spent on a nonproductive military. This happened to Rome, Spain, France, several several German states before its 19th century unification, and the USSR, among many others.

Britain was the only major exception I can think of to this, most likely because the Empire was based on trade, not simply political conquest or looting. But, that empire eventually went broke and fell, too, even if it didn't ruin Britain.

Considering that we are actually LOSING from trade so far, it's not clear just what will happen to us.

Actually, it is clear what will happen to us, it's just not clear when.

[Octafish]

9. ... War without End. Amen.

http://www.factormyth.com/pd/

Among other things, PeaceDividend.org links to Marine Lt. Gen. Smedley Butler's take:

WAR IS A RACKET

Smedley Darlington Butler  Major General - United States Marine Corps , Born West Chester, Pa., July 30, 1881

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

CONTINUED...

http://www.factormyth.com/pol10/warisaRacket.htm

PS: Butler's the guy who was approached to lead a post-FDR revolutionary government. Instead of going along with the richie-rich industrialists, the two-time Medal of Honor winner turned them in. Of course, the dimwits in Congress did nothing...