War Industry Dominance |
To download a pdf of this article, click here.
|
by Christian Sorensen
The military-industrial-congressional complex (MIC) is an insulated authority consisting of the US military establishment, headquartered in the Pentagon; the war industry, the corporations that market and sell goods and services to the US military, intelligence agencies, and allied capitalist regimes; and Capitol Hill, the elected representatives who fund the military and pass legislation abetting the permanent warfare state. Dominating this trifecta, the war industry captures government through a variety of ways.
How to change this dismal situation, when Congress is part of the permanent warfare state?
Christian Sorensen is an Air Force veteran and a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network. He is the author of Understanding the War Industry
Graphic: dirtbag34
The military-industrial-congressional complex (MIC) is an insulated authority consisting of the US military establishment, headquartered in the Pentagon; the war industry, the corporations that market and sell goods and services to the US military, intelligence agencies, and allied capitalist regimes; and Capitol Hill, the elected representatives who fund the military and pass legislation abetting the permanent warfare state. Dominating this trifecta, the war industry captures government through a variety of ways.
- Lobbying influencing government policy with professionals who meet with government officials. The war industry has spent at least $1 billion lobbying DC over the past 20 years,using 700 lobbyists in a given fiscal year. US law allows some heavy hitters to dodge registering as lobbyists. The war industry’s pressure groups —National Defense Industry Association (NDIA), Aerospace Industry Association (AIA), and Association of the United States Army (AUSA) — complement this lobbying.
- Dozens of pressure groups pose as benevolent “trade associations” and “national security associations,” but their function is to influence policy. Besides providing congressional testimony and issuing open letters indicating the war industry’s stance on a given issue, pressure groups sponsor industry arms fairs and displays — the NDIA Air Armaments Symposium; the AIA Dubai Air Show; and the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition — where military and industry officials network and arrange weapons deals.
- Campaign finance is legal bribery. Corporations fund congressional campaigns, and in return elected officials take care of corporate interests. The war industry then spreads work across congressional districts, posturing as a “job creator” to get Congress to keep funds flowing — though the war industry sheds jobs like any other industry.
- Industry drives the revolving door between government and war corporations. Military contractors place their corporate executives in the Pentagon’s many civilian offices. These offices, such as the undersecretary for policy and the undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, were once led by career civil servants. Now they’re increasingly led by former corporate fat cats, who rotate back into the war industry after their Pentagon tenure, profiting further from all the knowledge gained while on the inside. War corporations also recruit retired generals and admirals, leveraging their knowledge for profit.
- The war industry determines the government’s pro-war narrative by funding think tanks and media. Those think tanks create and amplify threats and justify a global military posture. By purchasing advertisements on corporate media, the war industry further controls the narrative. Revolving door participants regularly pen opinion pieces in prominent publications, often without fully disclosing their personal war profiteering.
- War corporations also capture government by taking over more and more military functions. Since the Vietnam War, the war industry has gradually assumed more control. Today, nothing is inherently governmental. Corporations run everything, from satellite production, launch, and monitoring to base operations; training,transportation, and administering classified special access programs.
- Even policy is in the corporate domain. Recent contract announcements illustrating corporate capture of government policy include Kearny & Co. dominating strategy review and assessment, Redhorse Corporation guiding DOD leadership regarding global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and Mission Essential Personnel improving policy development and decision making for Africa Command. In the eyes of corporate America, military bases are avenues through which corporate America runs goods and services. The troops are vessels for corporate profit.
How to change this dismal situation, when Congress is part of the permanent warfare state?
- Ban war profiteering at the state and local level.
- Repeal Citizens United and comparable laws that have given corporations immense authority.
- The working class has to implement a new economic system that actually takes care of people.
Christian Sorensen is an Air Force veteran and a senior fellow at the Eisenhower Media Network. He is the author of Understanding the War Industry
Graphic: dirtbag34
Take Action Now!
- Join AfD's new Disarming Violence/Establishing Peace campaign that will use eNews and Alerts to keep you up-to-date and engaged in the national and international movement demanding diplomatic negotiations to bring about a just peace for all — beginning with Ukraine.
- Learn about the No to NATO meeting and Peace Summit parallel to the annual NATO meeting, June 24-27.
- Learn about the June 18, 2022 Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers' Assembly & Moral March on Washington and to the Polls to vote.
- Help bring the Climate, Peace, Economic and Environmental Justice movements you are involved with together to facilitate the success of all these interrelated movements.
- Join violence prevention groups including police review boards and weapon regulation efforts.
- Tell your political representatives to defund the military and refund diplomacy.
- Educate yourself and everyone you know about keeping outer space a universal peace zone, and the dangers of militarizing the universe.
- Check out Peace in Ukraine, AfD's newest partner in disarming violence and establishing peace. They have excellent resources including talking points, statements, petitions and more. See their “Stop the War in Ukraine, Russian Troops Out, No NATO Expansion" at www.peaceinukraine.org.
