Here is an interview with Gareth Porter, who renames the Military Industrial Complex (MIC from now on) situation to what he calls the "Permanent War
State".
Of course, no video concerning the MIC would be complete without the famous warning by Eisenhower. Already a fan of his, I was pleasantly surprised to
learn that he was also in opposition of using the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Mr. Porter explains how financing the MIC is a bipartisan issue, beginning under Kennedy and flourishing under Reagan/Bush.
Following the Vietnam war debacle, the MIC was having trouble with its public relations in convincing the population that military spending was a
priority. A new perceived threat was required... enter the Soviet/Communist threat and the "Cold War". Using this excuse, Reagan was able to revive
the MIC with a 43% increase in military spending.
Once this "threat" vanished unexpectedly with the fall of communism, the MIC was again in need of an argument to support its fund raising efforts...
enter PNAC, Gulf War of '91, and of course, 9/11.
Even thought this new policy of "projecting U.S. military might abroad" has turned out to be a massive, costly failure, any cuts in the military
budget remain untouchable.
To me, this is both an issue of military corporate interests funding Washington, and the way in which the MIC is present in almost every voting
district of the U.S.
The absence of any and all morality and ethics when war is a for-profit venture and human lives (both soldiers and civilian) are seen as nothing more
than expendable variables in a cost-feasibility analysis is enough to make me want to puke.
the Billmeister