Defense contractors looking out for the little guy. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/defense-industry-cuts-economy/
You left out a couple of "conflicts"Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea. :
You left out a couple of "conflicts"
While it would take an exhaustive search of historical, and most probably classified, documents to prove it, I submit the last time the US did not have military personnel either in contact or in imminent danger would have been around 1940. I suppose your definition of war could vary unless you are the one under fire.
About that classified stuff: if we were able to dig into it more exhaustively, just counting our covertly meddling in Latin America's affairs, you'd probably have to go the 19th century. Hell, we started work on the Canal in 1904.
That particular aside, I agree vehemently with the sentiments on your post. Well put!
While it would take an exhaustive search of historical, and most probably classified, documents to prove it, I submit the last time the US did not have military personnel either in contact or in imminent danger would have been around 1940. I suppose your definition of war could vary unless you are the one under fire.
Also, remember Ike presided, as CIC, over one of the costliest militaries in the world, and even relegated the Army in which he served, and led, to a secondary force (see Pentomic Army) in response to the eastern elite power base in the DoD, CIA, DOS, and Congress. First the Bomber Gap, then the Missile Gap, which is where Ike left office. History has proven the Bear, at the time, was much more toothless than believed or, more accurately, propagandized.
What FDR realized was 'truth' for his class-war, or threat thereof, produces economic growth. This very likely was a topic discussed at several of the Allied conferences, and may well have been a loose understanding.
I think Ike may have explained this to JFK. While I am not a JFK fan (he is revered because he died before he could do any more damage to the aforementioned military-industrial complex), I think he did realize the danger present, and had made efforts to slow the snowball.
Since that point, the military-industrial complex was used to finance societal realignment until it was not sustainable (end of Cold War) and had to be reinvented (War on Some Drugs, War on Terror). It is still with us, and we sustain it so it may sustain social engineering programs. Remember, the US military has been the incubator for social re-engineering for decades.
Great thread, Ridge! I will try not to let you down this time. LOL.
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