The Military Industrial Complex. Eisenhower Knew !!!

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http://sonyclassics.com/whywefight/main.html

[tofubo]

1. the financial -military -industrial -prison complex n/t

[MADem]

2. His original draft of that farewell speech referred to the

military-industrial-CONGRESSIONAL complex. Bribery was an issue, even in those simpler times! He took that word out, but damn, he should have left it in....

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4. I just saw that

Did you see the video of Karen K. ? :mad:

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3. This site rocks folks, do yourself a favor and click around

[JohnyCanuck]

5. Military Contractor Philanthropy

Military Contractor Philanthropy
Why Some Stay Silent

By JOAN ROELOFS

The military-industrial complex is elephantine, yet it is rarely taken into account by political commentators. Connected to almost everything, it is one reason why the home front sustains our aggressive, illegal, military interventions and occupations throughout the world. Many good people are in thrall to the military-industrial complex, and consequently are silenced, unwilling to become active opponents. These include liberals, social justice advocates, and even professional soldiers who question our illegal interventions. There are, of course, some protesters in our nation, but not enough to make militarism the main issue in Congressional and Presidential elections, or to give the subject much visibility on a daily basis.

Militarism is promoted through the relentless manipulation of public opinion in all media: Hollywood films (aided by DOD armament loans), TV, video games, the public relations army of the DOD, newspapers, magazines, parades, etc. For the intellectuals, there are articles in "liberal" magazines alleging that violence is genetically implanted in humans, and a generally positive force. This barrage normalizes violence and war. Most people want to regard themselves as normal, and not fuzzy idealists or crackpots, so they increasingly view aggression as inevitable, and perhaps a good thing. Bombing people into democracy (as in Yugoslavia) becomes a reasonable proposition; overthrowing governments (as in Haiti) just a routine world improvement activity. Both these actions were widely accepted or ignored by liberals, among others.

Fear motivates human behavior; many people eschew protesting wars as they are afraid of being considered unpatriotic, and subjected to government harassment, discrimination in employment, social penalties, or beatings by local thugs. Even those who suspect that war is not normal may be convinced that nothing they can do will change anything.

Yet the home front support is not based merely on psychological manipulation; there are interests served by the military-industrial complex. Many people are directly employed by the military and its auxiliaries, which include CIA, NASA, NSA, and agencies such as NED and USAID that are not alternatives to force, but work with our invasions and subversions. Those in the reserves or retired remain influential serving in local, state, and national governments, with few active dissenters among them. Of course, it is not news that military contractors help many politicians get their jobs via campaign contributions.

http://www.counterpunch.org/roelofs01252006.html