Experts say the US war machine, known to many as the military industrial complex, is a threat to all of humanity.
The United States spends more on the military than China, India, Russia, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, Japan, and South Korea combined.
In 2021 US spending on the war machine surpassed 800 billion, now Congress has decided to add to the staggering figure. Congress’s plans will push spending on the military to at least $850 billion annually.
Caitlin Johnstone wrote on twitter, “One of the craziest things happening in the world today is the way weapons manufacturers are allowed to pour money into corrupt think tanks who go on to directly influence the foreign policy and military budget decisions of the most powerful war machine that has ever existed.”
Stephen Semler wrote in Jacobin, “The Senate is considering increasing the Pentagon’s budget to $850 billion. Think tanks are key advisers to the Senate on such increases — and a look at those think tanks’ funding reveals they’re all getting money from weapons manufacturers.”
When describing Washington DC think tanks, one expert described them as “places where people with degrees go to act as mercenaries for the rich and instead of carry guns, they carry pens and calculators.” They explain, “Most of the time these organizations are organizations that corporations and the wealthy use to launder their ideas to make them seem more legitimate or palatable.”
Stephen Semler wrote in Jacobin, “In March, Joe Biden proposed increasing annual military spending by $35 billion — to $813 billion —as part of his FY 2023 budget request. In June, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) added another $37 billion on top of that before advancing the $850 billion bill to the House floor for approval.
This decision was reportedly a matter of course for the committee. According to one HASC member, there was “almost no debate” on dumping another $37 billion on top of Biden’s own proposed increase.”
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