My Take | China a godsend for the US arms industry
- With the end of the failed ‘forever war’ in Afghanistan, the US military-industrial complex needs to find another struggle to further enrich itself, and China now fits that bill to a T
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” - President Dwight D. Eisenhower, farewell address, 1961
The “potential” of the military-industrial complex for mischief that Eisenhower warned against in his famous speech is now actual; indeed, it has been for some time now. Much of the “war on terror”, including the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, have been a gravy train for private contractors and arms makers. “The Forever War” may not have made America and Americans safer, but it has made the military-industrial complex much richer and more powerful than ever.
But even a forever war must come to a close, when its utter failure has become so obvious for the world to see. And so, another forever struggle needs to be found. China, unfortunately for the Chinese and perhaps the rest of the world, now fits that bill to a T.
Since the start of the US war in Afghanistan in 2001, the Pentagon has been handed a total of more than US$14 trillion, one-third to one-half of which went directly to defence contractors. That’s the total Pentagon expenditures for all purposes since 2001, which include the oft-quoted US$2 trillion spent on Afghanistan.