Look, I too come from a family of vets, WWII and Korean War, and I’m all for arming our side as much as possible with the best available.
But why, then, would a five star general who happened to become president of the United States publicly warn about said military industry complex?
Were you a five star general?
Do you know better than him?
Serious question.
But why, then, would a five star general who happened to become president of the United States publicly warn about said military industry complex?
—
Ike was decades ahead of the curve on the danger of the permanent state and the cancer that is corporatism.
What is called the military industrial complex grew out of the need to arm up to fight WWII and then the cold war with its proxy wars following that. That industry fed a need. It fills a need today, and does so on ever smaller margins.
Executives make way more than I ever did, and like politicians, they are in a world of money and power playing that I have no desire to be a part of. Associating the hundreds of thousands of serviceman or contract employees with the greed of the elite is unjustified.
And idiots that post here disrespect those that fought and died so they could have the blessed life we still have today, despite the corruption and thievery from Washington.
Ike warned against corruption. He was saying dont let the industry define the problem and direct the solution. If you know anything about govt contracting, the govt customer comes to the industry asking for solutions at affordable prices. The industry negotiates rates that meet the govt pocketbook and are still fair to the investors. One doesnt have to like every deal, but thats the way our market system works. And there has been no system more successful in history, so be careful if you want to change it.