Endless War Profiteers
Norman Solomon at TomPaine.com writes:
America’s military spending is now close to $2 billion a day. This fall, the country will begin its seventh year of continuous war, with no end in sight. On the horizon is the very real threat of a massive air assault on Iran. And few in Congress seem willing or able to articulate a rejection of the warfare state.
Hmmm…$2 billion a day, and Congress isn’t too concerned…I wonder why?
Maybe because most of the money we’re shamed into handing over to “support the troops” is actually flowing to over-priced contracts with the Military Industrial Complex, and part of their profits end up in the pockets of Congress.
This fact is more than pointed out by the following information, gleaned from www.warprofiteers.com:
Boeing
Aside from 747s, Boeing makes “smart” bombs, F-15 fighters, and Apache helicopters. Boeing has paid tens of millions in fines for selling flawed parts that led to thousands of unnecessary landings and at least one fatal crash and has been plagued by scandals connected to the company’s influence-peddling.
CEO: Jim McNerney
Military contracts 2005: $18.3 billion
Total contributions for the 2004 election cycle: $1,659,213
Lockheed Martin
The world’s #1 military contractor, responsible for the U-2 and SR-71 spy planes, F-16, F/A-22 fighter jet, and Javelin missiles. They’ve also made millions through insider trading, falsifying accounts, and bribing officials.
CEO: Robert J. Stevens
Military contracts 2005: $19.4 billion
Total contributions for the 2004 election cycle: $2,212,836
Northrop Grumman
Makers of the B-2 stealth bomber, you’d think this company could stay under the radar. But they’re dogged by scandals-from bribing Saudi princes to botching the training of the Iraqi National Army to the tune of $48 million. Above board, their job is simply selling death.
CEO: Ronald Sugar
Military contracts 2005: $13.5 billion
Campaign contributions in 2004: $1.68 million (defense related)
$1.77 million (total)
General Dynamics
General Dynamics makes traditional F-16 jets, Abrams tanks, and Trident subs. With contracts in the billions, and new markets (read: wars) opening every day, they’re not as washed up as some may think.
CEO: Nicholas D. Chabraja
Military contracts 2005: $10.6 billion
Total contributions in the 2004 election cycle: $1,437,602
Raytheon
Raytheon means “light from the gods.” Makers of “Bunker Buster” bombs, Tomahawk and Patriot missiles, this company loves big noises and large civilian casualty counts. When a missile killed 62 civilians in a Baghdad market, that was Light from the Gods.
CEO: William H. Swanson
Military contracts 2005: $9.1 billion
Defense-related contributions in the 2004 election cycle: $961,252
United Technologies
The name sounds like they make light bulbs, but UT, a.k.a. Sikorsky, sells Black Hawk and Comanche helicopters and various missile systems designed to inspire terror in civilians from Palestine to Colombia to Somalia and beyond.
CEO: George David
Military contracts 2005: $5.0 billion
Defense-related contributions in the 2004 election cycle: $558,850*
Halliburton
This company truly has a guardian angel: former Halliburton CEO and now Vice President Dick Cheney who looks out for its interests from the White House. The result? $8 billion in contracts “rebuilding” Iraq in 2004.
CEO: David J. Lesar
Military contracts 2005: $5.8 billion
Oil and gas-related contributions in the 2004 election cycle: $221,249
General Electric
Run until 2001by “Neutron” Jack Welch, who made it a matter of principle to lay off 10% of his workers per year, the world’s biggest company churns out plastics, aircraft engines and nuclear reactors and media spin through NBC, CNBC, Telemundo, and msnbc.com.
CEO: Jeffrey R. Immelt
Military contracts 2005: $2.2 billion
Defense-related contributions in the 2004 election cycle: $220,950
Science Applications International Corporation
SAIC, awarded control of the Iraqi Media Network, was not able to spin US propaganda in Iraq and ended up being forced to withdraw. But their financial prospects remain solid as supplier of surveillance technology to US spy agencies.
CEO: Ken Dahlberg
Military contracts 2005: $2.8 billion
Campaign contributions in 2004: $781,410 (defense related)
CSC/DynCorp
The world’s premier rent-a-cop business runs the security show in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the US-Mexico border. They also run the coca crop-dusting business in Colombia, and occasional sex trafficking sorties in Bosnia. But what can you expect from a bunch of mercenaries?
CEO: Van Honeycutt
Military contracts 2005: $2.8 billion
It seems that money, not love, makes the world go around, and war is definitely greasing the wheels.
Thanks to RG for pointing me to Solomon’s article!
Read More: Iraq War, war profiteers, military industrial complex
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August 23rd, 2007 at 7:42 am
It is bad enough that they overcharge excessively and rip of the tax payers. But the thing that galls me, is how they cut corners to increase the profits further; so that our troops end up with inferior equipment, and at times, products so bad they have to be thrown away. And yet we never hear of anyone being prosecuted for this.
I guess campaign contributions, are more important then soldier’s safety and lives.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:44 am
We have the power to change this. Vote for the candidates who are NOT corporate tools.
Or just keep on keepin’ on.
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
And it’s getting harder and harder to break out of the cycle, because the corporations own the media and the news, and they’re trying to get control of the Internet, and history has shown that, barring revolutions, those with the money get what they want.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Even South Carolina is cashing in on the war-profiteering.
And as for the media, take a look at the Real News. I support what they are trying to do.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:08 am
Lynne: I’m sure the South Carolina twin sisters’ war-profiteering operation is a lone exception (NOT!) :-) I want to sell some bolts and washers, too!
And thanks for the Real News link! I’m adding that one to the sidebar…hopefully this sort of unbiased journalism will keep eroding the main stream money-making news industry, and hopefully the free Internet is too far out of the bag for Corporations and the government to shove back in.
August 24th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Halliburton has a sweeeet deal!!! They invested less than 4% in 2004 or what they were paid in 2005.
It’s hard not to just throw your hands up in frustration.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:35 am
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