by Michael Snyder, End Of The American Dream:
George Orwell once said that “war against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it”, and he was right on target. War is enormously profitable, but once the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan ended the military industrial complex needed a new cash cow. So now we have the war in Ukraine, and we are being told that it could go on for years. Life is good again for the big arms manufacturers, but it could be even better. A war with China would cause military spending to soar to unprecedented heights that we have never been before, and we are getting closer to such a conflict with each passing day.
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But before I get to that, let me start by taking a look at the impact that the war in Ukraine is having. The Biden administration is asking for a whopping 802 billion dollars in defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year, but it looks like Congress is going to give him about 850 billion dollars instead…
While lawmakers haven’t struck a deal yet on spending for the coming fiscal year, increases backed by the armed services committees point to national defense spending that could approach or exceed $850 billion, versus the $802 billion Biden requested.
Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), a House Armed Services Committee member who voted in favor of the topline increase, noted the swiftness of the deliberation over the topline. “In the committee, there was almost no debate,” he said.
With the war in Ukraine being so trendy, there is very little appetite on either side of the aisle for a battle over such reckless spending.
So more money than ever is going to be flowing to the military industrial complex, and those that are raking in the cash couldn’t be happier.
For example, every single Javelin missile that is used in Ukraine costs approximately $78,000…
Washington is sending 6,500 Javelin anti-tank missile systems, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. The cost of each missile is about $78,000 (£66,000) and the reusable launcher is another $100,000 (£85,000). Ukraine will receive more of the systems from France and Estonia, with another 200 coming from the UK.
Unfortunately for the Ukrainians, it turns out that the Javelins don’t work very well against Russian tanks.
But we are going to keep sending them even more Javelins because they are hugely profitable.
Stinger anti-aircraft missiles are more effective, and Raytheon has been given a fresh 625 million dollar contract for more of them…
Another boon for Raytheon will come from the US decision to send 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft missile launchers. The company has already been awarded a $625m (£494m) contract to replenish the stocks. Germany is giving Ukraine 500 of the systems and more are coming from Denmark, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands.
War is a racket, and it is making a lot of people a whole lot of money.
Unsurprisingly, that even includes some members of Congress…
Some members of Congress stand to personally profit off Russia’s war on Ukraine.
At least 20 federal lawmakers or their spouses hold stock in Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin, which manufacture the weapons Western allies are sending Ukraine to fight Russian invaders, according to an Insider analysis of federal financial records.
So when these members of Congress vote for more military spending, it is making them even wealthier.
There is something very wrong with that picture.
And it looks like everyone involved with be laughing all the way to the bank for a long time to come. In April, a group of leaders from the top arms manufacturers in the country was told by the Pentagon that the war in Ukraine could last for “years”…
The Pentagon will host leaders from the top eight U.S. weapons manufacturers on Wednesday to discuss the industry’s capacity to meet Ukraine’s weapons needs if the war with Russia lasts years, two people familiar with the meeting said on Tuesday.
Demand for weapons has shot up after Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24 spurred U.S. and allied weapons transfers to Ukraine. Resupplying as well as planning for a longer war is expected to be discussed at the meeting, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
You would think that would be enough to satisfy the military industrial complex for a while.
But why have just one war when you can have two instead?
The Biden administration has been relentlessly provoking China for months, and this week persistent rumors that Nancy Pelosi will soon visit Taiwan have prompted furious remarks from Chinese officials. Here is one example…
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