In one sense, Eisnhower's warnings about the rise of the military-industrial complex never came to pass, according to historian Aaron O'Connell, who notes in the New York Times that military spending has declined as a share of GDP; military research has spurred the US economy, not held it back; and the defense industry is not driving foreign policy any more than it used to.
Still, you've got to think Eisenhower would be shocked to hear that America spends $700 billion on defense. Here's how he described the opportunity cost
of war in 1953
of war in 1953More
1 comment:
Disingenuous at best. At worst, a deceptive and deliberate lie. The $700 billion does not include the billions spent on "black" projects and systems not directly related to defense, but nonetheless still part of the "system". I don't think ANYONE (because of the myriad, complex, and often top secret accounting and designations) knows what we REALLY spend on the military-industrial powerhouse. We can't build new roads or schools, but CAN spend billions on a new plane or submarine or satellite. Maybe because educated people know something's wrong with spending 200 million dollars on one plane, unless its made from solid gold and becomes a transformer, too.
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