Occupied Washington DC

I read this article and feeling very confused - Sure it would be most disturbing to find advertising from weapons from our capital, cant see it never can happen here...

As a visitor to our nation's capital, I cannot tell you how disconcerting it is to step off the metro and find yourself face to face with a F-35 fighter jet. Where you would normally expect to find ads for cell phones or museum exhibitions, Washington's subway, the second busiest in the country, instead displays full color backlit billboards for some of the most deadly – and expensive – weapons systems ever produced.

The ads for such companies as Lockheed Martin, the world's largest weapons producer, Goodrich, KBR, AGI, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman can be found in many of the metro stations in the Washington metropolitan area. Not surprisingly, the heaviest concentration is at Pentagon City and near government offices at the Federal Center and Capitol South stations. Undoubtedly, the ads aim to influence key decision-makers, but they also serve the purpose of selling to the general public the concept that only our superior military prowess can protect us from a hostile world.

The billboards range from explicit ads for attack helicopters and combat vehicles to more subtle billboards for companies such as little-known DRS, owned by Italian weapons maker Finmeccanica and 26th among the top 100 Pentagon contractors, or for "rugged" Dell computers designed to meet Defense Department specifications for military-use.

www.globalresearch.ca...

Reading this whole article makes me understand how close we really are to next WW3. These signals are mixing with sense of the third reich 70 yrs ago, where military achievements were cause of proud of all nation.

I am really interested to hear opinions from US citizens about this - Do you somehow see this warmongering situation natural - good for your county and to your own future? Have you seen what described in article and how you feel about it?

reply to post by JanusFIN


Last time I was there (half a month ago) that wasn't true at all, sure you will see advert's for Lockheed and other companies like that, but first off Lockheed cover's a whole lot more than just weapons of war. Their are several other companies like that as well that you see advertised. It is a hard hit economy and job economy right now and Lockheed and the like do tend to hire plenty of people so it makes sense to have them advertising non-stop.

As far as billboards and posters on the subway with ANY weapon system at all, well that's something that I have never seen, I've lived in and around the DC area my whole life and I've never have seen nor will I probably ever see an advertisement for anything considered violent by the masses, DC can't afford that kind of bad press lol

I'm actually going into DC in a little while for the cherry blossom's and if I see any I'll bring you some picture's.

reply to post by Awolscout


Power of international community working here! Thanks.

I really get ugly picture from reality in DC from this, aint anyone else? You see, I have never been there and I think never will, so the power of words to here other side of world is huge - thats why I want to confirm this article from you guys.

Please, straight it out if possible.

Originally posted by JanusFIN
reply to post by Awolscout

 

Power of international community working here! Thanks.

That's what the internet really exists for... sort of

Ill keep an eye out for any I see, I'll go ahead and warn you now that I don't have a camera so I'll be taking them with my phone but fortunately it takes relatively high quality photos. If I don't see any like that I'll try and get some other examples of what they are really like.

reply to post by Awolscout


I am very pleased, my friend.

Honestly, I hope you will not found anything there whats mentioned in article, and we can debunk this article together. (In that case I really will post our findings forward to editors of Global research with very angry tone...)

But thanks! ... And be safe from those military boots

reply to post by JanusFIN


That would be great because that article read's like a terrible terrible case of sensationalism, like an over exaggeration. I also checked it at the main site and noticed that they offered absolutely no photographic or video proof, just their word that this is the case. Which for someone like me who know's this area backward and forward is no big deal but for someone who has never been or has no idea what it's like recently can be very very misleading.

Advertising is one of the first budget expenses to go or be heavily reduced whenever business drops off. After advertising, employees start to go.

I have a feeling that the only companies right now profitable enough to purchase such a large swath of advertising are those that sell their products to the Federal Government.

The government continues to write checks, purchase grandiose new military equipment, and advance their technology.

The rest of us know we're broke and have cutback on spending -- nobody has told the White House that they too are broke apparently. Spend, baby, spend!

reply to post by JanusFIN


I live in the District and would just like to echo what Awolscout said ...

Although I don't use the Metro very often as there's no station near me, (that is a whole conspiracy as of itself as when the metro was planned, rich white neighborhoods declined to have stations near them so as to stop people from the inner city from having easy access) I can tell you that the city is by no means overwhelmed by military weaponry advertising. Sure there is some billboards in some stations, and they advertise on the two local radio news stations WTOP and Federal News Radio, as do many computer folks for many of the decision makers in the GSA and other government agencies listen to them.

But DC in general has less advertising visible than most other cities for they have many laws to keep the city beautiful as the nation's capital.

Just my observations.

It could be possible that there was some sort of Military conference or lobbyists meeting in DC, or even a defense contractors convention going on while this writer was in town?
That would be my guess to all the advertisements.

reply to post by TwoTechnics


Anyway I have already decided to send email about this. I will wait some help from ATS members here and then send questions about this to editors.

Global Research is very good and respected source for many information - they should double check these if its really nonsense.

reply to post by JanusFIN


Yes, just keep in mind that the lady who wrote the story is a self declared "pacifist" who was apparently in DC to attend peace protests, so her sensibilities might have been heightened in this regard ... add the fact that she lives in Rome/Europe where such advertising is non existent, it is somewhat understandable that there's some "cultural shock" element to her perspective.

ETA: It must be said that it is strange even for me to be driving in the car and to hear an ad for a specific Northrop Grumman weapon system on the radio ... as if I'm going to hear the ad and run to my local NG dealer and get myself a helicopter. But like I said, the peeps that decide this stuff are obviously the advertisers'/lobbyists' intended audience.

[edit on 11 Apr 2010 by schrodingers dog]

I understand you are not from around here but in the suburbs around DC we have a lot of airports AND a lot of airplane companies. Such as Northrup Grummon and Lockheed Martin to name a few. Whats wrong with a company sporting their top product? Should McDonalds not advertise the Big Mac? No war mongering is going on here. I do not condone the bill boards in anyway but thats life in DC.



[edit on 11-4-2010 by kenny71]

I didn't see a single ad along the lines that the article described I got some photos of a few metro line ad's that I feel represent the exact opposite, I'm gonna post them up as soon as I get my camera to stop being ridiculous