Friday, August 26, 2011

The Boston Globe had a blaring headline on August 15: 'Doomsday' defense cuts directly affect panel members - Large military contractors are in their states.

Put your ear to the railroad tracks and you can hear the train coming. Now that the new 12-member Congressional "Super Committee" has essentially been given the power of God (and the Devil) the military industrial complex, and their appendage called the corporate media, are swinging into action. Their message? We can't cut Pentagon spending because it will hurt an already tight job market.....and we need these troops to keep knocking countries off the "Non-Integrating Gap" list (those countries that refuse to play ball with corporate globalization).

The article begins, "The six Republicans and six Democrats represent states where the biggest military contractors - Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Co., and Boeing Co. - build missiles, aircraft, jet fighters, and tanks while employing tens of thousands of workers."

It's really quite a convenient "coincidence" that the appointed members of the Super Committee just happen to have the "biggest military contractors" in their states. Gee, I wonder when it comes down to more cuts in social spending OR cuts in Pentagon funding, which way will they go?

The Globe goes on to say, "Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, one of the Democratic members of the deficit-reduction committee, represents a state that was fifth in the nation with $8.37 billion in defense contracts this year, behind Virginia, California, Texas, and Connecticut, according to data on the federal government's website www.USAspending.gov ..... In Tewksbury and Andover, deep defense cuts could have serious ramifications for thousands of Raytheon employees working on the Patriot, the air and missile defense system."

In fact the former head of Raytheon, William J. Lynn III, was brought into the Obama administration to serve as Deputy Secretary of Defense. On June 8 he was quoted in the right-wing Washington Times newspaper saying, "The wars of the future will be longer, deadlier and waged against a more diverse variety of enemies than ever before."

The message is clear - prepare for endless war and don't cut the military budget. Not surprising, right on cue, the Globe also quotes former "liberal" Democrat, and now Obama's Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta calling the possibility of Pentagon cuts the "doomsday mechanism."

On August 14 I wrote on this blog about the aerospace corporation contributions to key members of the Super Committee. I think it is worth repeating that important information. There can be no doubt that the appointment of these severely compromised politicians, and the steady drumbeat about "Doomsday" Pentagon cuts in the corporate media, are part of a larger plan to destroy social progress in America and to continue the massive military buildup and endless war. It's crucial that people also clearly recognize the "bi-partisan" nature of this magic show.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington (the senator from Boeing) and Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas will co-chair the committee.

The military industrial complex already has a head start on lobbying these "folks". Since 2007, the twelve chosen for the committee have taken roughly $1 million in war industry contributions to their PACs and campaign committees. Here’s how much they’ve been given, according to http://www.opensecrets.org :

Patty Murray (D-Wash.): $276,200
Max Baucus (D-Mont.): $139,100
Dave Camp (R-Mich.): $130,800
John Kerry (D-Mass.): $73,500
Rob Portman (R-Ohio): $68,700
Fred Upton (R-Mich.): $36,500
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.): $32,000
Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas): $29,000
Pat Toomey (R-Pa.): $17,100

Welcome to the much acclaimed "democratic process" of decision making in the US of A.

###

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

Name: Bruce K. Gagnon

Location: Bath, Maine, United States