military industrial complex

Victory at Last!: Monty Python in Afghanistan

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:34:58 -0500

by Tom Engelhardt

Let others deal with the details of President Obama’s Afghan speech, with the on-ramps and off-ramps, those 30,000 U.S. troops going in and just where they will be deployed, the benchmarks for what’s called “good governance” in Afghanistan, the corruption of the Karzai regime, the viability of counterinsurgency warfare, the reliability of NATO allies, and so on. Let’s just skip to the most essential point which, in a nutshell, is this: Victory at Last!

Bush-Style Military Spending Not Over Yet

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:48:30 -0500

by Miriam Pemberton

Thought the Bush years were over? Not so fast.

The main "accomplishment" of those years, apart from getting our country handed over to the big banks and corporations, was of course launching two wars. The cost of those wars so far is staggering, but these amounts are dwarfed by the so-called "regular" defense budget.

Arms Trade: A 'Booming' Business

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:44:58 -0500

by Frida Berrigan

President Barack Obama recently signed into law the 2010 military budget, saying that it takes the "necessary steps toward reshaping priorities of America's defense establishment and changing the way the Pentagon does business."

The Secret About Jobs Military Contractors Don't Want You to Know

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:52:11 -0400

by Jennifer Doak and Miriam Pemberton

We've all seen the dismal reports of this recession in the papers. We all probably know someone who's personally felt its effects. Job losses in September reached 263,000, the worst in 26 years, and the real economy shows few signs of a near recovery.

Give Peace a Seat at Cabinet Table

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:35:27 -0400

by Linda McQuaig

Duelling was once regarded as an entirely appropriate way for two gentlemen to resolve a dispute.

Today, a gentleman challenging another to a duel would be regarded as peculiar. Duels have become obsolete in the civilized world.

Could war also become an outdated method of conflict resolution – particularly as we enter an era of intensified global conflict over dwindling resources?

America: Arms Dealer to the Stars!

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:02:20 -0400

by Mark Morford

And then along comes one of those stories that makes you cringe down to your very core, that makes you see our semi-fine nation and the world around it through a bleak and unforgiving lens indeed. No matter how hard you try and how you spin the story and flip it around and try to forcibly shape it into something less slightly nauseating, all you can do is realize that sometimes ugliness and violence win the day, the year, the planet.

American Militarism on Steroids

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:14:53 -0400

by William Astore

I have a few confessions to make: After almost eight years of off-and-on war in Afghanistan and after more than six years of mayhem and death since "Mission Accomplished" was declared in Operation Iraqi Freedom, I'm tired of seeing simpleminded magnetic ribbons on vehicles telling me, a 20-year military veteran, to support or pray for our troops. As a Christian, I find it presumptuous to see ribbons shaped like fish, with an American flag as a tail, informing me that God blesses our troops.

Pentagon Eyes Accelerated 'Bunker Buster' Bomb

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:28:00 -0400

by Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is seeking to speed deployment of an ultra-large "bunker-buster" bomb on the most advanced U.S. bomber as soon as July 2010, the Air Force said on Sunday, amid concerns over perceived nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran.

The non-nuclear, 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, which is still being tested, is designed to destroy deeply buried bunkers beyond the reach of existing bombs.

A New Security Paradigm: The Military-Climate Link

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:15:14 -0400

by Paul Rogers

An awareness of how a range of global developments is threatening the livelihoods of many millions of the world's citizens in the early 21st century is sharpening. The realities of climate change and environmental destruction, widening socio-economic inequality, wars and conflicts, and unsustainable transport and business models are among these developments.

Pentagon Propaganda Gets a Pass

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:16:29 -0400

by Diane Farsetta

Is there a difference between covert propaganda and secretive campaigns to shape public opinion on controversial issues? The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) apparently thinks that there is.