But the same has been said about defense spending and the current administration has cut back on Pentagon budget and has signaled that more cuts are on the way.
Of course those military suppliers - who have vastly outsized lobbying might, compared to anyone outside of energy and pharmaceutical companies - won't go down without a fight.
Case in point:
One of those companies: Raytheon RTN +0.74%, maker of
Tomahawk [1] missiles and other military gadgets. In January,
the Navy proposed the company end production of new
Tomahawks in 2017 . Its stockpile of about 3,000 of the
missiles is more than the 2,300 that have been fired in
all combat operations combined.
Raytheon is warning that if it shuts down production
of the Tomahawk and the U.S. finds itself in a situation
where it needs more of them, it will be complicated and
expensive to get production going again.
"Raytheon contends that halting its Tomahawk production
line in Tucson, Ariz., ahead of the 2019 upgrades
would drive some suppliers out of business, and push
engineers to other sectors, eroding the military’s
ability to field an important weapon. The company
sent the Pentagon a list of a dozen companies that
Raytheon executives believe could close or be forced
to leave the defense sector, according to people
familiar with the situation."[2]
If defense suppliers can be tamed, so can be prison guard unions and law enforcement unions.
The criminal justice system and the incarceration complex are no longer in the purview of reasonable actors and decision makers.
Watch Bill Maher's monologue on the increased militarization of local law enforcement( I know he can be hyperbolic sometimes, but not here. )
The military-industrial complex is still alive and well, and still exercises very strong control in crafting agendas. What makes you think otherwise? Plenty of war operations still going on, air support being given, forward bases maintained, weapons purchase agreements from allies.
But the same has been said about defense spending and the current administration has cut back on Pentagon budget and has signaled that more cuts are on the way.
Of course those military suppliers - who have vastly outsized lobbying might, compared to anyone outside of energy and pharmaceutical companies - won't go down without a fight.
Case in point:
If defense suppliers can be tamed, so can be prison guard unions and law enforcement unions.The criminal justice system and the incarceration complex are no longer in the purview of reasonable actors and decision makers.
Watch Bill Maher's monologue on the increased militarization of local law enforcement( I know he can be hyperbolic sometimes, but not here. )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8qBTy0HWWI
NYPD officers just choked dead a Staten Island man who was allegedly selling tax-free contraband cigarettes, for resisting arrest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/nyregion/staten-island-man...
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZEYOSRiQno
[1] Tomahawk component suppliers and sites where the missiles were fired:
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-CN552_TOMAHA_G_...
[2] Defense Companies Warn: Cutting Military Spending Can Be Expensive
http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2014/07/03/defen...