Trump was right to call out defense industry influence on the Pentagon
But Trump has not only done nothing to mitigate the problem, he has also contributed to it.
But Trump has not only done nothing to mitigate the problem, he has also contributed to it.
The call to cut military spending should be paired with a demand for the investments that are worth making — and a critique of the wars that aren’t.
There isn’t much Americans appear to agree on these days, but progressives and conservatives concur that continuing to throw more money at the Pentagon, particularly during a pandemic, is a bad idea.
If truth is the first to die in war, the same is true for pandemics.
Congress recently defeated a measure to cut the Pentagon budget, but the movement pushing to reduce defense spending is growing.
The defense industry floods congressional campaign coffers with millions, and Congress in turn rewards it with more Pentagon spending, even during a pandemic. But think tanks are in on the game too.
Despite widespread calls to modestly reduce the Pentagon’s overflowing coffers to confront other priorities during a pandemic, Congress carries on with business as usual.
Why should defense industry CEOs promote their business in America’s op-ed pages when they have members of Congress to do it for them?
Conveniently, the think tank has taken a strong stand on the same land mines and autonomous weapons made by its multimillion dollar benefactor.
While Americans are overwhelmed by the pandemic, the Pentagon and its boosters are exploiting the emergency to feather their own nests.
Cutting the Pentagon budget needs a movement — a big one.
Qatar’s charm offensive is part of a multi-faceted and strategic influence operation designed to further entangle the U.S. with this autocratic power.