Gates meets the MIC - "Partnership critical". . . Wants 'steady consistent growth' in defense budget

[bigtree]

01/13/10

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, quoted Gates as telling the (defense) companies he would like to see "steady, consistent growth in defense budgets."

"That's the best for us. It's best for them, so that there's predictability and one can plan going forward," Morrell said. "The booms and busts that we've experienced over the decades help neither of us frankly."

"Our partnership is critical to national security," he quoted Gates as adding.


So far this fiscal year, Defense Department funding, including war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan plus military construction, has totaled $660 billion. Obama plans to ask for another $33 billion on top of that to fund the deployment for 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

Attending the meeting at the Pentagon were executive committee members of the Arlington, Virginia-based Aerospace Industries Association, the aerospace and arms makers' chief trade and lobbying group.

Other arms makers represented by their chief executives included General Dynamics Corp; Raytheon Co; BAE Systems Inc, a unit of BAE Systems Plc; L-3 Communications Holdings Inc; and Harris Corp.


read more: http://theusdaily.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=955392&type=home

[invictus]

1. Eisenhower's speech on the Military-Industrial Complex

http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst306/documents/indust.html

[unhappycamper]

2. Swell.

We can cancel Social Security & Medicare. Let's just funnel all available money to the MIC. After all, one can never have too many submarines, aircraft carriers, F-22s, C-17s, DDG-1000s, LCS, etc. etc.

[bigtree]

5. I remember Richard Perle

. . . at a military industry conference on c-span hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, the Bush defense policy adviser mused that, "It would be better if we simply handed the money to the defense industry and let them invest it themselves, . . . but Congress likes to control that . . . "

It's amazing how many weapons and weaponized junk are still in the hopper after the supposed reforms Gates was lauded for in this budget. As far as I've kept track, companies like Lockheed already have always enjoyed nearly $100 billion in backlogged orders.

[unhappycamper]

7. That sounds about correct.

Do you watch the daily contracts awarded to the MIC? Only $10 million yesterday but around $100 million on 1.12.2010 --> http://www.defense.gov/contracts/

[bigtree]

9. been awhile

thanks for the reminder :hi:

bookmarked

[Mari333]

3. sigh. k nr.

[Monk06]

4. Hiow about some steady growth in wages? Oh sorry that would be INFLATIONARY.

[chimpymustgo]

6. Send paycheck directly to MIC. Collect food stamps when you pass GO.

:puke:

[unhappycamper]

8. No money for food stamps.

We. Must. Buy. More. Weapons.

[StarfarerBill]

10. Their corporate masters have spoken, and the government tools will comply.

[G_j]

11. grow?

[msongs]

12. the role of the military is to attack the US treasury nt

[invictus]

13. +1

[anonymous171]

14. Someone needs to stand up to these loons

We need to get rid of them, lest they thrust another F-22-style corporate welfare on us.

[arcadian]

15. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

literally, this time.

[Mithreal]

16. Thanks Mr. President, pile that debt on top of the American people

I am sure your family will not suffer from wasteful spending.