military industrial complex – AmericanDelusions

Why are we spending $1.5 trillion on nuclear weapons?

November 26, 2023

The December 2023 issue of Scientific American contains three articles and an editorial about our nuclear weapons production, plans to spend tons of money “modernizing it”, and the environmental consequences. BOOM TIMES: The new costs—and long shadow—of living in a nuclear nation. by Abe Streep SIDE THE PIT FACTORY: For --->> read more -->>

Our Empire, National Priorities, and the Iraq War revisited

August 9, 2023

Recently I came across the Summer 2023 issue of Jacobin (self-described as “a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture.”). The lead article is “The Iraq Invasion Twenty Years Later“. This reminded me of all the lies and posturing that led up to --->> read more -->>

The Presidential-Congressional-Military-Industrial Complex Grows Ever Fatter

May 9, 2023

President Eisenhower, previously General Eisenhower of WWII fame, warned of the Military Industrial Complex in his farewell addresses in 1961. “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced --->> read more -->>

Trump and the Big Muddy – Afghanistan

August 22, 2017

Pete Seeger wrote a song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” in 1967 that became closely associated with President Johnson and the Vietnam War. Does Trump remember it? Maybe Afghanistan will bring it to his mind? It included a series of refrains: “We were — knee deep in the Big --->> read more -->>

US Vacuum Cleaning Our Privacy – the bigger story

June 8, 2013

There has rightfully been considerable outrage over this week’s revelations that the Federal government has been sucking up information on virtually every aspect of our lives, email, telephones calls, pictures, credit card and banking transactions, and so on. Unfortunately almost all of this discussion is taking place without a useful --->> read more -->>

America’s Longest War – a socio-political-military disaster – indicted by Global Commission on Drug Policy

June 12, 2011

Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy Last week this commission released its report, “War on Drugs“. This once again brings into focus our longest war, Nixon’s War on Drugs. Here are the first two paragraphs from the executive summary: The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating --->> read more -->>

Let’s Talk About The Defense Budget – a letter to the editor

April 2, 2011

(This was submitted to the Letters to the Editor section of the Register Star here in Hudson. Not clear at the moment whether it will be published.) Discussions of the Federal budget almost never mention the defense department. Both political parties continue in the thrall of what President Eisenhower called the “military-industrial complex”. --->> read more -->>

Pondering at the Food Coop

November 1, 2008

November 1, 2008 So, here I am having coffee and my favorite lunch, a toasted bagel with peanut butter thinking about the approaching election. Finally this will conclude what has been an overly long campaign, but one with enormous pleasures. Assuming that Obama is not just a curiosity to all --->> read more -->>