The Pentagon and Arms Industry Gone Mad, for Profits

By David Starr

It must be said that the United States, as an empire, has its priorities ass-backwards.

The Pentagon has been getting a load of federal help from the U.S. Congress in the form of a $7.5 trillion budget over the next 10 years. And the arms industry is monetarily making out as well. Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, defense contractors and their investors have been expecting an increase in their profits with the sending of more weapons to the Ukraine side. And it’s been a bi-partisan effort to spur all of this along. Democrats and Republicans are usually on the same page when it comes to funding wars.

While war is prioritized, social needs in the U.S. is secondary, if even that. The $1.5 trillion dollar package, covering 10 years, that would help with social programs has been pushed aside, in particular by Republicans who continue to mainly obstruct this investment in healthcare, education, climate change and the working class.

Writing in VICE News (05/10/2022), Ben Makuch made a point by asserting that “the arms trade benefits from major global conflicts” and that weapons-makers like “Lockheed and Raytheon” look like they will benefit stock holders “in the coming months and years.” Makuch also wrote that in particular, “Raytheon Technologies’ Stinger anti-aircraft systems and Lockheed Martin’s anti-tank Javelins (partly made with Raytheon) enjoy cult-like status in Ukraine as holy weapons.” Worshipping weapons?

Makuch quotes Dan Glazier of the federal government watchdog Project On Government Oversight (POGO): “This is the kind of well-known phenomena about how when war starts there’s plenty of people that it’s going to make a lot of money.” Glazier adds: “The Ukraine war came at a good time (for the arms industry.) “…when the [war] started, there were people there almost eagerly anticipating it–you know, big, big profits.”

The promoters of the arms industry will use “noble” objectives for their profiteering. Makuch shows an example. Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes, on a CNBC news show, asserted that a couple of the main goals is to support the “warfighter” and helping “our allies and country to defend democracy.” But democracy has been used and abused as a justification to invade, occupy and bomb other nations, especially in the Third World.

The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) is an entity with big weapons manufacturers like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as members. The NDIA has argued  for increased military spending since the “defense industrial base” has experienced shutdowns and supply chain disruptions, a major reason due to the Covid pandemic. The Russia-Ukraine war has made the increase possible. In These Times published a piece (04/07/2022) by Sarah Lazare, web editor and reporter for this publication. Lazare wrote that the “term ‘defense industrial base’ conveniently sidesteps conversations about whether the manufacturing of lethal military weapons is critical (or healthy) for a society in the grips of a public health crisis, not to mention for societies targeted by that weaponry.”

Lazare also wrote about Thomas Low, an NDIA junior fellow, who justifies increased military spending by referring to an annual report by the NDIA entitled “Vital Signs.” The report mentions how the arms industry is weakening and deteriorating mainly because of Covid, “which dramatically disrupted the lives of individual Americans as well as global commerce.” It goes on to say that the arms industry is in need of “modernization.”

How more modern can it get? The U.S. outspends the next 11 countries combined to manufacture weapons. The U.S., thus, has an advantage with its technological expertise to build a wide array of weapons. But it has been a case of quantity over quality with the military and defense contractors getting what they want over the essential needs of people.

The Pentagon, weapons manufacturers and the bipartisanship of the Democrats and Republicans show how the dangers of sending more weapons to Ukraine is generally ignored. The bottom line is not to consider the welfare of Ukrainians but to have profiteers make even more money. Despite criticism, and condemnation, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes is not bothered by this. Quite the contrary, Hayes makes no apologies for profiteering off of war. Hayes uses the excuse to “defend democracy” even though there really isn’t a sign of democracy flourishing in Ukraine. The latter has been significantly influenced by neo-Nazis and fascists; and has a government that is pliable to the U.S./NATO alliance. This means the imposing of austerity measures in Ukraine characteristic of other countries being threatened by neoliberal policies.

It’s unfortunate that the Pentagon and the weapons industry will be continuing to receive massive funds for provoking wars worldwide with profits as the priority. It’s also unfortunate that Congress won’t change its priorities, as Democrats and Republicans  generally agree about providing the funds.

Rather than prioritizing the “common defense,” the United States has gone well beyond self-defense. The U.S./NATO alliance shows that the motives for provoking or funding war are imperial, and for arms industry stock holders and CEOs to make a killing off of the consequences.