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The Militarization of America At What Cost?. Prepared by Peace Action Montgomery www.PeaceActionMC.org. Topics. The Federal Budget and Military Spending Where Does the Money Go? Arming the World What Does American Militarism Cost You? What You Can Do. The Federal Budget Military Spending. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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PREPARED BY PEACE ACTION MONTGOMERYWWW.PEACEACTIONMC.ORG
The Militarization of AmericaAt What Cost?
Topics
The Federal Budget and Military SpendingWhere Does the Money Go?Arming the WorldWhat Does American Militarism Cost You?What You Can Do
2
The Federal BudgetMilitary Spending
3
Total Federal Budget, FY 2010 Both Discretionary & Mandatory
4
Source: National Priorities Project
Mandatory: Required by law Examples:
•Interest on Debt (9.5%)
•Social Security (21%)
•Medicare
•Unemployment
Discretionary: Negotiated each year Examples:
•Military
•Education
•Research
Discretionary Budget AuthorityFY 2010
5
“All other” includes:
•Environment•Science•Transportation•International affairs•Everything else except entitlements and debt.
Source: National Priorities Project
Obama Budget Proposal FY 20116
Source: National Priorities Project, FY 2011
Growth in Military SpendingExcluding Wars
7
Source: Project on Defense Alternatives
Discretionary SpendingBy Category, 2009
8
Billions of Dollars
Source: Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Briefing Book
2010Budget: Military Recruitment vs. Peace Corps
0
1,000,000,000
2,000,000,000
3,000,000,000
4,000,000,000
5,000,000,000
6,000,000,000
7,000,000,000
Military Recruiting Budget
Peace Corps Total Budget
Dollars
Sources: American Forces Press Service; Peace Corps Web Site
9
U.S. Military Spending vs. Other Countries, In Rank Order, FY 2009
Source: Center for Arms Control and Source: Center for Arms Control and NonproliferationNonproliferation
10
U.S. Job Creation with $1 Billion Spending
Num
ber
of J
obs
Cre
ated
Education Health Care Clean Energy Consumption Military
Source: U of MA, Political Economy Research Institute
11
Montgomery County Citizens’ Share of Military Expenditures, FY2010
Budget
About $3 billion or
$2,000 per person
Source: National Priorities Project
12
With $3 Billion, Montgomery County Could Instead Have Paid For:
All expenses at a public university for four years for every 18-year-old in the County, and
Renewable electricity for three years for all the homes in the county, and
Over 5,000 new affordable housing units.
Source: Computed from National Priorities Project and census
13
State of Maryland
MD portion FY 2010 military budget: $13.7 bn
State FY 2010 budget: $13.9 bnEstimated shortfall: 2.6 bn
Proposed state spending cuts: Public Health Disabled Education
14
Source: National Priorities Project, Out of Balance
How Much Could We Cut the Military Budget?
15
Andrew Bacevich:
We should reduce the US military budget to a level that does not exceed the combined military spending of all ten of the next highest-spending countries in the world.
Source: National Priorities Project—Security Spending Primer
Where Does the Money Go?
•War costs•Foreign military bases•War profiteers
16
Military Budget, 201117
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Total War CostsIraq and Afghanistan Through 2010
Total direct cost of both wars by 2010: over $1 trillion
18
Iraq: $747 billionAf/Pak: $332 billion (including epected June supplemental of $33 billion) Total: $1.079 trillion
Source: National Priorities Project
$1 Trillion is a Thousand Billion
Imagine that you spent $1 million/day beginning with the birth of Jesus—to spend a trillion dollars, you’d need to keep spending $1 million/day until mid-way through the 28th century.
If you laid out $1 trillion end-to-end in $100 bills, you could circle the Earth at the equator 39 times.
A trillion dollars could pay the salaries for a year of 18 million people at $55,000 per job.
19
Afghanistan War Costs
Total U.S. defense spending in Afghanistan, FY 2010: $101 billion.
$1 million: cost to send one soldier to Afghanistan for one year
$400 per gallon: US military’s cost of gasoline in Afghanistan
Source: Congressional Research Service Report RL 33110
20
Afghanistan War vs. World Military Spending
In 2010, the United States will spend more on the war in Afghanistan than any other country in the world spends in total on the military.
Source: Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation; Reuters
21
It’s a Choice!
Are lengthy occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan how we want to spend our money? We have
other threats!
22
Where Does the Money Go?
•War costs•Foreign military bases•War profiteers
23
U.S. Foreign Military Bases
The US maintains about 1,000 foreign military bases
Foreign bases cost taxpayers about $250 billion per year
Source: Foreign Policy in Focus
24
25
Floating Bases
The U.S. has 11 nuclear powered aircraft supercarriers—the entire rest of the world has 11 carriers, and these are all much smaller than those of the U.S.
The U.S. maintains over 100 deployed ships and submarines at any given time—with 30,000 sailors afloat.
26
Source: United States Navy; Project on Defense Alternatives
Military Bases as the New Imperialism
95% of all the military bases on another country’s soil are U.S. bases.
“Once upon a time, you could trace the spread of imperialism by counting up colonies. America's version of the colony is the military base.”
Chalmers Johnson, 2004
Source: Chalmers Johnson
27
The Movement to End Foreign Bases28
Source: International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases
International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases: www.no-bases.org
Foreign Bases: A Provocation
The Declaration of Independence criticizes the British "for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us" and "for protecting them . . . from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States.“
Foreign bases create enemies and make us less safe.
29
Where Does the Money Go?
•War costs•Foreign military bases•War profiteers
30
War Profiteers
Definition: Any person or organization that improperly profits from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war.
How do we define “improperly”?
31
War Profiteers
Are huge profits improper? Is it acceptable for some people to make literally millions of dollars--because thousands of others die?
Is it improper if contractors lobby for wars that they benefit from financially?
Is it improper if contractors’ products are shoddy?
If contractors engage in fraud and highly wasteful practices?
32
War ProfiteersExample: Lockheed Martin
84% Percent of L/M profits derived directly from US tax
payers, 2008
$4.4 billion Amount of tax-payer money distributed as profit, 2008
$30,939,233 Total compensation of Lockheed Martin CEO, 2007
$28,253,165Total compensation of 6 other executives, 2007
33
Sources: LM Company Statements; Company Pay.Com
Lockheed Martin
Paid $577.2 million in fines because of contract fraud since 1995
Found guilty of 50 instances of various kinds of misconduct (including contractor kickbacks, nuclear safety violations, fraud, etc.)
Consistently behind schedule and over budget. Source: Project on Government Oversight
34
Lockheed Martin Cost Overrun Example:
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Original contract: $5o million per planeNew estimate: $113 million per planePentagon plan: purchase 2,450 Total cost: $323 billion.
A single weapons system is now estimated to cost almost one-third of what the health-care plan is expected to cost over a decade.
35
Source: Tom Engelhardt
Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence
Political donations, 2008 cycle: $2,801,455 (from L/M PACs and individuals, per FEC)
Paid lobbying, 2008: $15,981,506
Source: Open Secrets
36
Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence
Geographic distribution of subcontractors
“The ideal weapons system is built in 435 Congressional districts and it doesn’t matter whether it works or not.”
Alain C. Enthoven, economist and former Pentagon official
In 2009, Lockheed Martin placed full-page ads in the Washington Post showing the number of jobs for F-22 construction, by Congressional district, throughout the nation.
37
Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence—The Revolving
Door
Lockheed's former vice-president, Bruce Jackson, worked in the DOD, and then organized and chaired the “non-profit” Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (2002-03): It lobbied hard for the Iraq war—a war that dramatically increased Lockheed Martin profits
8 other senior Bush Administration members had similar ties to Lockheed Martin
Source: Hartung & Ciarrocca
38
The War Profiteer Circle39
What Do Military Contractors Do?
Feed troops Maintain facilities and equipmentTransport cargoWash clothesProvide security guards for bases and
diplomatsEngage in military actions
Contractors are doing everything that used to be done solely by the military—for a profit.
40
Contractors vs. Troops in Afghanistan41
Source: Congressional Research Service
Who Are Mercenaries?
Soldiers-for-hire or “private security contractors.”
They are recruited from all over the world.
42
Outsourcing the Military
“The United States has created a new system for waging war. . . You turn the entire world into your recruiting ground. You intricately link corporate profits to an escalation of warfare and make it profitable for companies to participate in your wars.”
“We live amidst the most radical privatization agenda in the history of our country.”
Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill
Source: Bill Moyers Interview
43
Outsourcing the Military
Powerful companies promote war because it is profitable, not because of the interests of the nation
The profit motive can be counter to the military’s goals and the nation’s
Oversight of contractors is negligible and contractors often do poor jobs—costing lives and more money
Cost-plus contracts , the most common DOD-type contract, encourage waste and unnecessary spending
44
45
Is It Possible to End War Profiteering
FDR:Supported broad increases in the corporate
income tax;Raised the excess-profits tax to 90 percent;
and Charged the Office of War Mobilization with
the task of eliminating illegal profits.
46
Outsourcing War & Democracy
As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.
Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 1864
47
Arming the World:Costs Associated with Aid &
Sales48
U.S.: Arms Dealer to the World
Source: Congressional Research Service, Sept. 2009
Arms Transfer Agreements with The World, By Supplier, 2008
49
Sales to Other Countries:Example Israel
Proposed U.S. Military Aid to Israel FY2009-FY2018: $30 billion
Israel is required to use 74% of its aid money on U.S. purchases, totaling $24.4 billion.
50
Source: Congressional Research Service: US Foreign Aid to Israel
Sales to Other CountriesExample: Israel
Pentagon Seeks $15.2B Fighter Sale to Israel
Sept. 30, 2008
“The Defense Department said today it wants to sell up to 75 fighter jets to Israel in a $15.2 billion deal . . . The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it notified Congress on Friday that Israel has asked to buy 25 of the F-35s made by Lockheed Martin Corp., with an option to buy an additional 50 at a later date.”
51
Newser Online News Journal
Sales to Other Countries:Example Israel
US gives Israel billions of dollars
US requires Israel to spend most of it by buying from US arms manufacturers
Israel buys planes from Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin makes more profits
52
Fragments of a US-made M155 white phosphorus carrier artillery shell fired by Israeli forces into Gaza
White phosphorus:
Causes deep burns through muscle and down to the bone, continuing to burn until deprived of oxygen.
Can contaminate other parts of the body, poisoning and irreparably damaging internal organs.
Is extremely painful and very lethal.
White phosphorus was used extensively in the war on Gaza 2008-09
53
Source: Amnesty International
Remains of a US-made Hellfire missile that killed 3 paramedics and a child in Gaza.
War on Gaza, ‘08-’09:
American-made planes
Dropping American-made bombs
Paid for with American taxpayer funds
54
Source: Amnesty International
What Does the Militarization of America
Cost You?55
•Economic Costs•Environmental Costs•Cost to Democracy
A Weaker Economy
The more a country spends on the military relative to its economy:
The slower the economic growthThe higher the unemploymentThe slower the productivity growth
56
Source: Council on Economic Priorities
A Weaker Economy
Money to finance wars displaces productive investment, for example to rebuild infrastructure at home.
As a result of not making these investments, future output in the U.S. will be smaller.
Source: Stiglitz and Bilmes, The Three Trillion Dollar War
57
Economic Costs: Debt Service
Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007
Interest costs alone are so high that they will soon dwarf federal spending on other priorities
58
Personal CostsProjected Costs of Wars: $3.5 Trillion by
2017
Almost $50,000 per Family
Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007
59
Total Estimated Costs of Iraq & Afghanistan: $3.5 Trillion
With $3.5 trillion, for the next 133 years, we could send every 18-year-old in the U.S. to a state university. We could pay all their education expenses--tuition, fees, and room and board--for four years.
60
Is the Money We Are Spending Making Us Safer?
Have the wars made us safer?Do hundreds of foreign bases make us safer?Do expensive cold war-era weapons make us
safer?Is our reliance on expensive contractors
improving our safety? Do weapons sales and military aid to other
countries make us safer?
61
Seeking Security: Other Ways to Spend Our Money
Diplomacy Nonproliferation Contributions to International OrganizationsContributions to Peacekeeping UN Peacebuilding Stabilization and ReconstructionEconomic Development Alternative Energy
62
Source: Foreign Policy in Focus, Unified Security Budget
Seeking Security:Other Ways to Spend Our Money
First Responder Grants Public Health Workforce Capacity Infectious Disease Control/Global HealthIn-Line Airport Checked Bag Screening Port security grantsPublic transportation security grantsTransportation security training Chemical site security
63
Source: Foreign Policy in Focus, Unified Security Budget
What Does the Militarization of America
Cost You?64
•Economic Costs•Environmental Costs•Cost to Democracy
Environmental Costs
The U.S. military is the biggest polluter in the
world, generating an estimated 750,000 tons of toxic waste every year.
The military burns an estimated 20 million gallons of gasoline daily—about the same as the entire country of Iran.
65
Sources: Graydon Carter; Barry Sanders
What Does the Militarization of America
Cost You?66
•Economic Costs•Environmental Costs•Cost to Democracy
Threat to Democracy
Militarism restricts freedom at home Freedom of speech (e.g., Eugene Debs imprisoned for
several years because of opposition to World War I) People today fearful of protesting—might lose jobs
67
Threat to Democracy
Militarism involves immense amounts of money that corrupt the political system Campaign contributions and election ads by war profiteers Lobbying by war profiteers and other corporations (e.g., oil)
Militarism leads to secrecy which is incompatible with democracy The “State Secrets Privilege”: invoked 23 times by Bush &
used to dismiss entire cases without regard to the merits—now used by Obama
The hiding of the “Pentagon Papers” during the Vietnam War
68
Threat to Democracy
Militarism erodes fundamental rights Denial of Habeas Corpus in “War on Terror” Legalization of torture Military Commissions Act of 2006, creating kangaroo
courts
Militarism demonizes certain citizens--who then lose basic rights Japanese-Americans in WW II Muslims and Arab Americans today
69
Threat to Democracy
Militarism expands government surveillance of citizens Patriot Act NSA data mining
Militarism leads to powerful secret paramilitary organizations, illegal actions by government, and lack of accountability—destroying the rule of law CIA – Illegal violence in Chile, Iran, Central America,
Pakistan “Extraordinary rendition”— kidnappings and disappearances CIA Black Sites—secret prisons, beyond any law
70
Threat to Democracy
Of all the enemies to public liberty war is . . . most to be dreaded because it comprises . . . the germ of every other. . . No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
James Madison
71
BECAUSE OUR ECONOMY IS WEAKER DUE TO EXCESSIVE MILITARY SPENDING, WE HAVE:Less to invest in new businesses and new ways of doing thingsLess to spend on health, education, infrastructure, art and culture
WE ALL HAVE TO WORK HARDER AND LONGER HOURS, JUST TO STAY EVEN.
WE ENDANGER THE ABILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS TO LIVE ON EARTH.
WE PLACE THE FUTURE OF OUR DEMOCRACY AT RISK.
What Does the Militarization of America
Cost You?72
73
74
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The Cost of Militarism
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.
Dwight Eisenhower
77
What We Can Do78
Lobbying
Electoral Work Public Education
Media Outreach
Street Activism
79
You Can Lobby
80
You Can Help Elect Progressive Candidates
81
You Can Help Us Inform Our Community
82
You Can Be Part of the New Media
83
You can be in the streets!
Be A One-Minute Activist
Don’t feel like you can make that kind of time? There are other ways you can be part of the solution:
Sign up for Peace Action Montgomery’s bi-monthly email letter—and take the actions we suggest
Host an educational event with your church, community group, neighborhood
Contribute to an organization working for peace: money is power
Find what you can do—and do that
84
Peace Action Montgomery
www.PeaceActionMC.org
85
Sources
American Forces Press Service, http://www.smallgovtimes.com/2009/05/proposed-military-recruiting-cuts-reasonable
American Friends Service Committee, http://www.countdowntowithdrawal.org/ Amnesty International, http://www.amnesty.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_20012.pdf Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation, 2009 Briefing Book,
http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/assets/pdfs/fy09_dod_request_briefing_book.pdf Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “Putting Afghanistan Troop Increases in
Perspective,” Dec. 2. http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/120209_afghanistan_costs_in_perspective/
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “Analysis of 2010 Defense Authorization Agreement,” Oct. 21, 2009. http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/102109_c111_fy10_authconf/
Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation: http://www.armscontrolcenter.org/ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258 Chalmers Johnson, America’s Empire of Bases.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/1181/chalmers_johnson_on_garrisoning_the_planet Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Interim Report, June 2009:
http://www.wartimecontracting.gov/docs/CWC_Interim_Report_At_What_Cost_06-10-09.pdf Company Pay.Com:
http://www.companypay.com/executive/compensation/lockheed-martin-corp.asp?yr=2008
86
Sources, continued
CNN , Congress to Probe Private Military Contractors in Afghanistan: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/17/afghanistan.contractors.probe/
Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Report. War At Any Price?: http://jec.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Reports.Reports&ContentRecord_id=c6616188-7e9c-9af9-716c-d2ecbc191d33&Region_id=&Issue_id=
Congressional Research Service Report RL 33110, September 28, 2009 http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf
Congressional Research Service Report R40764, September 21, 2009, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40764.pdf
Congressional Research Service Report RL 33222, US Foreign Aid to Israel, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf
Congressional Research Service: http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/129342.pdf
Anita Dancs, Mary Orisich, Suzanne Smith, The Military Costs of Securing Energy (National Priorities Project – October 2008) http://www.nationalpriorities.org/auxiliary/energy_security/executive_summary.pdf
Tom Englehardt: Tomdispatch, http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175219/tomgram%3A_william_astore%2C_you_have_no_say_about_your_military/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tomdispatch%2FesUU+%28TomDispatch%3A+The+latest+Tomgram%29
87
Sources, continued
Foreign Policy in Focus: http://www.fpif.org/ Foreign Policy in Focus, A Unified Security Budget:
http://www.ips-dc.org/reports-list.php?start=6 http://multinationalmonitor.org/mm2003/03jan-feb/jan-feb03corp2.html Friends Committee on National Legislation, “Keeping Military Spending in Balance with
the Nation’s Priorities,” March 16, 2009. http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item.php?item_id=3538&issue_id=19
William Hartung and Michelle Ciarrocca, “ Corporate Think Tanks and the Doctrine of Aggressive Militarism,” The Multinational Monitor, Jan/Feb. 2003.
Huck Gutman, http://www.redrat.net/BUSH_WAR/mercenaries/index.htm#mercs Iraq Coalition Casualties: http://icasualties.org/oif/ Jeremy Scahill, interviewed by Bill Moyers, June 2009.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18211.cfm John Feffer, “Good War vs. Great Society,” Foreign Policy in Focus, Sept. 22, 2009.
http://www.fpif.org/fpifzines/wb/6433 Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, The Three Trillion Dollar War, Norton & Co., 2008. Just Foreign Policy: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html National Priorities Project: http://www.nationalpriorities.org National Priorities Project Security Spending Primer:
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Publications/NPP_Security_Spending_Primer.pdf
88
Sources, continued
National Priorities Project, Out of Balance: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/webinars/out-of-balance
National Priorities Project, President’s Budget FY 2011: http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Presidents_Budget_FY2011
Newser: http://www.newser.com/story/38814/pentagon-seeks-152b-fighter-sale-to-israel.html
Open Secrets: http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/index.php?capcode=mwkzr&name=Lockheed&state=&zip=&employ=&cand= and http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?year=2008&lname=Lockheed+Martin
Peace Corps Web Site, http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=1452
Political Economy Research Institute, U. of Mass., Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier , “The U.S. Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities ,” , Oct. 9, 2009: http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/071001-jobcreation.pdf
Project on Defense Alternatives: http://www.comw.org/pda/1002BudgetSurge.html Project on Defense Alternatives, http://www.comw.org/pda/fulltext/1001PDABM45.pdf Project on Government Oversight, http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/alerts/contract-
oversight/co-fcm-20090421.html Refugees International: http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679
89
Sources, continued
Reuters, Chinese Military Spending: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6230A720100304
Right Web: Committee for the Liberation of Iraq: http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Committee_for_the_Liberation_of_Iraq
Salary.com: http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_lg12000010.html
U.S. Budget: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2010/assets/summary.pdf- United States Navy Fact File, http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?
cid=4200&tid=200&ct=4, accessed November 15, 2009. War Resisters League: http://www.warresisters.org/ Ycharts: Lockheed Martin: http://ycharts.com/companies/LMT
90