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Author
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Topic: Who said war isn't profitable?
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Jerry West
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1545
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posted 27 June 2006 02:43 PM
quote:
Richard Foot, CanWest News Service
Published: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 HALIFAX - Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor opened a week of massive military spending announcements Monday by portraying the purchase of new hardware not as an essential outfitting project for the army, navy and air force, but as a national job-creation scheme. ''The cumulative effect of the (week's) announcements on industry is that every part of the country - nearly every town in this country - is going to be affected by these projects and is going to benefit from them,'' O'Connor said after relaunching plans to acquire three new supply ships for the navy.
Conservatives tout economic benefits of defence spending
From: Gold River, BC | Registered: Oct 2001
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N.Beltov
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4140
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posted 27 June 2006 03:00 PM
Steven Staples and Bill Robinson pointed out in the presentation last fall that the usual institutional support for military spending can be expected: bureaucratic ambition, local job creation and military contractors. But they underline another factor as key: quote:
Transforming the Canadian Forces into a military that is capable of rapidly deploying soldiers, warships, aircraft and equipment has become the pre-eminent priority for the Deparment of National Defence. Whether it is weapons management systems for warships, or laser-guided bombs for CF-18s, these programs are intended to ensure that the Canadian Forces stand ready and able to fight with, or for, the United States.
Another point worth underlining that Staples and Robinson seem to ignore in their presentation, is that military production pollutes the political culture of a country. Just look at the USA and the subversive effect on US democracy by the military-industrial complex over the last 4 or 5 decades. There are all sorts of ways to come at this problem. Canadian military spending should be frozen, just as other spending was frozen when the Conservatives came into power, until a good public review and debate and commission on what Canada should be spending its dollars on. Canada does not have to be a junior partner of the US, our military "interoperable" with the rogue regime to the south of us, playing a substitution role for US troops like an extra in a World Cup soccer match.
From: Vancouver Island | Registered: May 2003
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B.L. Zeebub LLD
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6914
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posted 27 June 2006 04:49 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Jerry West:
Conservatives tout economic benefits of defence spending
Wow, you'd think they thought of it. The problem with the militarisation of the economy is that it makes the military into a social power on top of increasing their political power. The effect is a kind of "militarisation" of society whereby a large proportion of the working class are beholden to the arms industry and its perogatives for their incomes. As the Spartans (and so many since) knew, a perfect way to ensconce a ruling class is to make the rest of society beholden to them. We see evidence of a kind of blackmail in the policy directions of our American neighbours; the old "you owe something to the military for protecting you, feeding you, clothing you, etc..."
This way, the most cunning and brutal and often reactionary among us (is there anything more cunning and brutal than military planning) gain more and more sway in our society.
From: A Devil of an Advocate | Registered: Sep 2004
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