Ivan Eland sat with RT to discuss the astronomical political clout held by the welfare queens of the military-industrial complex that will thwart any translation of the Pentagon’s rhetoric into actual policy (7:04):
There is no plan to significantly cut military spending. Ivan Eland of The Independent Institute adequately compares it to a shell game.
The rhetoric is weak in itself—claiming aims to cut $100m from a war chest of well over a half-trillion dollars per year. A handful of recent actions are tell the true path of the Pentagon:
- Boeing yesterday received another contract from the Pentagon, guaranteeing it $12bn over the next eight years, and continues to play a “pivotal role” in Washington’s never-ending drone war in Afghanistan and Pakistan—though the E.U. recently found at least $10bn of the company’s welfare benefits is illegal under already loose restrictions;
- Lockheed Martin’s set to receive $2.75bn from the U.S. military to manufacture and ship 20 fighter jets to the State of Israel, recently received a $300m contract from the Pentagon for anti-tank missiles, and regaining a $5bn contract to supply Washington ‘kill or capture’ raid policies—after posting a 12% profit-jump through July of this year;
- ITT recently received a $260.5m contract from the U.S. Army for nightvison goggles.
These deals were all in the last couple of months. How many people have given up looking for work or lost their homes since then?
More importantly, how many Afghan and Paki civilians have been slaughtered and terrorized by Washington’s destruction-driven economy?
Little Alex in Wonderland 