Chitsime: TomDispatch.com
The inadequate response of both the federal and state governments to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the United States, creating what could only be called a national security crisis. More than 190,000 Anthu aku America afa, pafupifupi theka la iwo anthu a mtundu. Yelp data bwanji kuti mabizinesi opitilira 132,000 atseka kale ndipo ziwerengero za kalembera zikuwonetsa kuti, chifukwa cha malipiro otayika, pafupifupi 17% Anthu aku America omwe ali ndi ana sangakwanitse kuwapatsa chakudya chokwanira.
Munthawi yomweyi, makontrakitala angapo achitetezo akhala akuchita bwino kwambiri. Lockheed Martin, kontrakitala wamkulu wa Pentagon, adanenanso kuti, poyerekeza ndi 2019, zopeza zake zakwera - inde, kukwera! Kupambana kwa kampaniyo kunatsogolera magazini ya zachuma Barron kuyitcha "nyenyezi ya mliri." Ndipo zopindulitsazo zikungokulirakulira, kutengera kuvomereza kwaposachedwa kwa a Trump kwa mgwirizano wazaka 10. kuti agulitse $62 biliyoni mtengo wake wa F-16s kupita ku Taiwan.
And Lockheed Martin is far from the only such outfit. As Woteteza idati, "Zikuwonekeratu kuti makampani omwe ali ndi mabizinesi odzitchinjiriza atha kupirira mliri wa coronavirus bwino kwambiri" kuposa, mwachitsanzo, makampani oyendetsa ndege. Ndipo zinali choncho, pamene makampani ena ali nawo kudula kapena kuyimitsidwa phindu Panthawi ya mliri, Lockheed Martin, yemwe anali atakweza kale mphatso kwa omwe ali nawo kumapeto kwa chaka cha 2019, adapitiliza kulipira ndalama zomwezo. March ndi September.
The spread of Covid-19 has created one of the most significant crises of our time, but it’s also provided far greater clarity about just how misplaced the priorities of Washington have been all these years. Americans — the Trump administration aside — are now trying to deal with the health impacts of the pandemic and struggling to figure out how to safely reopen schools. It’s none too soon, however, to start thinking as well about how best to rebuild a devastated economy and create new jobs to replace those that have been lost. In that process, one thing is crucial: resisting the calls — and count on it, they will come — to “rebuild” the war economy that had betrayed us long before the coronavirus arrived on our shores, leaving this country in a distinctly weakened state.
Mkangano Watsopano wa Bajeti?
Kwa zaka khumi zapitazi, "mkangano" wa bajeti m'dziko muno wapangidwa makamaka ndi Budget Control Act, yomwe idayesa kupulumutsa. $ 1 zankhaninkhani, over those 10 years by placing nominal caps on both defense and non-defense spending. Notably, however, it exempted “war spending” that falls in what the Pentagon calls its Overseas Contingency Operations account. While some argued that caps on both defense and non-defense spending created parity, the Pentagon’s ability to use and abuse that war slush fund (on top of an already gigantic base budget) meant that the Pentagon still disproportionately benefited by tens of billions of dollars annually.
Mu 2021, Budget Control Act imatha. Izi zikutanthauza kuti olamulira a Biden kapena a Trump adzakhala ndi mwayi waukulu wokonzanso ndalama za federal. Osachepera, Pentagon off-budget slush fund, yomwe imapanga zinyalala ndi amasokoneza dongosolo, could be ended. In addition, there’s more reason than ever for Congress to reassess its philosophy of this century that the desires of the Pentagon invariably come first, particularly given the need to address the significant economic damage the still-raging pandemic is creating.
Pomanganso chuma, komabe, dalirani chinthu chimodzi: makontrakitala achitetezo adzayika dola iliyonse yokakamiza kuti ayese kukopa anthu, Congress, ndi maulamuliro aliwonse omwe ali ndi mphamvu kuti gawo lawo ndiye injini yayikulu mdziko muno popanga ntchito. Monga TomDispatch zonse Bill Hartung has shown, however, a close examination of such job-creation claims rarely stands up to serious scrutiny. For example, the number of jobs created by recent arms sales to Saudi Arabia are now expected to be zosakwana chakhumi of those President Trump initially kudzitamandira. Monga Hartung adadziwika mu February, that’s “well under .03% of the U.S. labor force of more than 164 million people.”
Zotsatira zake, kupanga ntchito pogwiritsa ntchito ndalama za Pentagon ndi imodzi mwa njira zochepetsera zomangiranso chuma. Monga akatswiri pa University of Massachusetts ndi Brown University Onse apeza, dziko lino lipeza ndalama zambiri zopangira ntchito chifukwa chandalama zomwe zimawononga zida popanga ndalama zomanganso nyumba, kuthana ndi kusintha kwanyengo, kapena kupanga mphamvu zina. Ndipo mabizinesi otere angapereke zopindulitsa popanga madera athu ndi mabizinesi ang'onoang'ono champhamvu komanso cholimba.
Ogwira Ntchito Zachitetezo Akuchita Kampeni Kuti Atulutsidwe
pa Ntchito Yoyang'anira Boma where I work, I spend my days looking at the many ways the arms industry exerts disproportionate influence over what’s still called (however erroneously in this Covid-19 moment) “national security” and the foreign policy that goes with it, including this country’s forever wars. That work has included, for instance, exposing how a bevy of retired military officers advocated buying more than even the Pentagon requested of the most expensive weapons system in history, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet fighter, while failing to disclose that they also had zokonda zandalama zaumwini in supporting that very program. My colleagues and I are also kutsatira mosalekeza the many officials who leave the Pentagon to go to work on the boards of or to lobby for arms makers or leave those companies and end up in the Pentagon and elsewhere in the national security state. That’s known, of course, as the military-industrial complex’s “revolving door.” And as President Trump posachedwa, zimathandiza kuonetsetsa kuti nkhondo zosathazo sizidzatha, ndikuyambitsa bajeti ya Pentagon yomwe ikuchulukirachulukira. Pamene zochita zake m'malo mwa makampani a zida zankhondo samachirikiza zolankhula zake, kuzindikira kwake za vutoli kumangoyang'ana kwambiri.
And yet, as familiar as I am with the damage that the weapons industry has done to our country, I still find myself shocked at how a number of those companies have responded to the current crisis. Almost immediately, they began lobbying the Department of Defense to make their employees part of this country’s “essential critical infrastructure,” so that they could force them to return to work, pandemic or not. That decision drew a kudzudzula kawirikawiri kuchokera kumabungwe oyimira antchito amenewo, ambiri a iwo ankaopa kwa miyoyo yawo.
Ndipo samalani, pamenepo m'pamene zinthu zidakhala zokhota. Pachigamulo choyambirira cha Covid-19, Congress idapereka Pentagon $ Biliyoni 1 kuthandiza kuthana ndi mliriwu. Thandizo lotere, monga oyimilira a congressional amaganizira, lingagwiritsidwe ntchito kugula zida zodzitetezera kwa ogwira ntchito omwe amayenera kubwera kuntchito, makamaka popeza Dipatimenti ya Chitetezo. chiyerekezo chake choyamba was that the country would need to produce as many as 3.3 billion N95 masks in six months. The Pentagon, however, promptly gave those funds to defense contractors, including paying for such diverse “needs” as golf-course staffing, hypersonic missile development, and microelectronics, a Washington Post kufufuza anapeza. Okonza nyumba Anayankha kuti ndalama za makontrakitala achitetezo "sizinali cholinga choyambirira chandalamazo."
Ndipo tsopano makontrakitala achitetezo aja akufunsa ma bailouts ambiri. Kumayambiriro kwa chilimwe, adatsimikizira bwino Senate kuti ayike $ Biliyoni 30 kwa makampani a zida zankhondo mu bilu yake yotsatira yothandizira coronavirus. Monga Kuyitana kwa CQ inanena, omwe adzapindule kwambiri ndi kuwononga ndalamazo adzakhala makampani awiri akuluakulu a Pentagon: Lockheed Martin ndi Boeing.
Mliriwu wabweretsadi ena kuchedwa ndi ndalama zosayembekezereka makampani oterowo, koma ndalama zogulira zida zankhondo ndizochepa poyerekeza ndi kuwonongeka komwe kwachitika chifukwa cha mabizinesi ambiri omwe amayenera kutero. kutseka kwamuyaya. Every sector of the economy is undoubtedly facing unexpected costs due to the pandemic, but apparently the Department of Defense, despite being by far the best-funded military on the planet, and its major contractors, among the richest and most successful corporations in America, have essentially claimed that they will be unable to respond to the crisis without further taxpayer help. The chair of the House Armed Services Committee and the lead Democrat for the Senate’s defense appropriations subcommittee posachedwapa ananena kuti, ngakhale makontrakitala m'boma la feduro akukumana ndi zovuta za mliri, palibe bungwe lina lomwe lapempha kuti liwonjezere ndalama zothandizira kuthana ndi vutoli. M’malo mwake, agwira ntchito yopezera zinthu zimene anali nazo kale.
Ndizoseketsa kunena kuti dipatimenti yomwe ili kale ndi zinthu zambiri zomwe zilipo kale ndipo, ndithudi, ili ndi udindo wotsogolera dziko kuopseza mosayembekezereka silingadziwe momwe angasinthire popanda ndalama zina. Koma makontrakitala ambiri achitetezo sawona chifukwa chosinthira popeza akudziwa kuti apitiliza kudalira Washington kuti iwathandize.
Komabe, makampani achitetezo asiya chipiriro kuti Congress sinavomereze zomwe akufuna. Mu Julayi, oyang'anira ambiri mwa makontrakitala akuluakulu anatumiza kalata to the White House demanding more money. In it, they included a not-so-subtle threat of electoral consequences for the president and Senate Republicans in close races if such funds weren’t provided. Only one major contractor, Northrop Grumman, has anakhala kutali chifukwa chokopa anthu ambiri chifukwa CEO wake mwachiwonekere anali ndi nzeru zozindikira kuti kampani yake ikuchita bwino kwambiri kuti isafune zambiri pomwe ena ambiri akufunafuna ndalama, makamaka mabizinesi omwe ali ndi anthu ochepa, ambiri mwa iwo mwachiwonekere sadzabwereranso.
Mukuyenda Panjira Yopita Ku Tsoka?
There are signs, however, that someday such eternal winners in the congressional financial sweepstakes may finally be made accountable thanks to the pandemic. This summer, both the House ndi Senate for the first time each considered an amendment to cut the Pentagon’s budget by 10%. Such efforts even received support from at least some moderates, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), ngakhale idapita pansi kuti agonjetse in both houses of Congress. Although Democratic vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) refused to support the specifics of the amendment, she did at least express her agreement with the principle of needing to curtail the Pentagon’s spending spree during this crisis. “As a member of the Senate Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees, I’m keenly aware of the global threats facing our country,” she said in a mawu adatulutsa voti itatha. "Ndikuvomereza mosakayikira cholinga chochepetsa bajeti yachitetezo ndikutumizanso ndalama kwa anthu omwe akufunika thandizo."
Chiyeso choyamba chowona ngati dziko lino liphunzirapo chilichonse mwazinthu zoyenera zokhudzana ndi chitetezo cha dziko kuchokera ku mliri womwe ukupitilira mosakayikira chidzabwera pamkangano wa bajeti wa chaka chamawa pomwe. funso will be: Is everything finally going to be on the table? As I adalemba kale at TomDispatch, giving the Pentagon trillions of dollars in these years in no way prepared this country for the actual national security crisis of our lives. In fact, even considering the Pentagon’s ridiculously outsized budget, prioritizing funding for unaffordable and unproven weapons systems over healthcare Kukhumudwa kuthekera kwake kusunga asilikali ndi antchito ake kukhala otetezeka. Osacheperanso, kupitiliza kuika Pentagon patsogolo pa zosowa za bungwe lina lililonse ndi anthu aku America nthawi zambiri zimatipangitsa kuti tipite ku tsoka.
Kukambitsirana kwatsopano pazofunikira pa bajeti kungatanthauze, poyambira, kusintha tanthauzo lenileni la "chitetezo" kuti aphatikizepo kuyankha ku zoopsa zambiri zomwe timakumana nazo pankhani yachitetezo chathu: osati miliri chabe, koma kuchuluka kwanyengo komwe kukukulirakulira. kusintha, kuwonongeka kwa zomangamanga, ndi boma lomwe likupitirizabe kupindulitsa anthu olemera komanso ogwirizana kwambiri kuposa wina aliyense.
Pamlingo wosavuta kwambiri, mbali ya "chitetezo" ya budget iyenera kupangidwa kuti iwonetse zomwe tikugwiritsa ntchito tsopano pazomwe zimadutsa chitetezo cha dziko. Izi zikutanthauza kuwerengera chitetezo chakwawo ndi zopindulitsa za akale, komanso ndalama zina zambiri zomwe nthawi zambiri kusiyidwa of the budget equation. When such expenses are indeed included, as Brown University's Costs of War Project wapeza, mtengo weniweni wa nkhondo za America ku Greater Middle East kokha unafika pa $ 6.4 thililiyoni ndi 2020. Mwa kuyankhula kwina, ngakhale kuyamba kutsutsana moona mtima za momwe zosowa zina za America zimaperekera ndalama, payenera kukhala. kuŵerengera kolondola kwambiri kwa zimene zakhala zikugwiritsidwa ntchito m’zaka zino pa “chitetezo cha dziko.”
Chodabwitsa n'chakuti, mosiyana ndi Congress (kapena Pentagon), anthu ovota akuwoneka kuti akumvetsa kufunika kosintha. Gulu loganiza zopanda phindu la Data for Progress lidapeza izi oposa theka of likely voters support cutting the Pentagon’s budget by 10% to pay for domestic priorities like fighting the coronavirus. A University of Maryland zofufuzira adapeza kuti mayiko ambiri amatsutsana ndi kuchepetsa ndalama zambiri kupatulapo ziwiri zodziwika bwino: ndalama za Pentagon ndi zothandizira zaulimi.
Tsoka ilo, omwe ali m'bungwe lachitetezo cha dziko nthawi zambiri samamvera zomwe anthu aku America akufuna. M'malo mwake, ndi akapolo amakampani odzitchinjiriza omwe amalimbikitsa mpikisano watsopano wa Cold War ndi China ndi Russia, kudutsa. Zopereka kupita ku Washington think tanks ndi ndale komanso khomo lodziwika bwino lomwe likuzungulira.
In fact, the Trump administration is a military-industrial nightmare when it comes to that endlessly spinning entrance and exit. Both of his confirmed secretaries of defense and one acting secretary of defense came directly from major defense contractors, including the current one, former Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper — and the Biden administration seems unlikely to be all that different. As the American Prospect inanena recently, several members of his foreign policy team have already circumvented ethics rules that would restrict lobbying activities by becoming “strategic consultants” to the very defense firms aiming to win more Pentagon contracts. For example, Biden’s most likely secretary of defense, Michèle Flournoy, became a mlangizi wamkulu kupita ku Boston Consulting Group ndipo zaka zitatu zoyambirira zomwe anali ndi kampaniyo, idakulitsa ndalama zake za mgwirizano wa Pentagon ndi a. chinthu cha 20.
Chifukwa chake aliyense amene adzapambane mu 2020, kuchuluka kwa ndalama ku Pentagon, m'malo mwachitetezo chenicheni cha dziko, kuli m'malo. Zikuoneka kuti anthu alankhula. Funso likukhalabe: kodi aliyense ku Washington adzawamvera?
Mandy Smithberger, a TomDispatch zonse, ndiye mtsogoleri wa Pakati pa Zomwe Ziteteze Pulojekiti Pa Kuyang'anira Boma (POGO).
Nkhaniyi idawonekera koyamba pa TomDispatch.com, tsamba lawebusayiti la Nation Institute, lomwe limapereka kusuntha kwazinthu zina, nkhani, ndi malingaliro kuchokera kwa Tom Engelhardt, mkonzi wanthawi yayitali pakusindikiza, woyambitsa nawo American Empire Project, wolemba Mapeto a Chikhalidwe Chopambana, monga buku, The Last Days of Publishing. Buku lake laposachedwa ndi A Nation Unmade By War (Mabuku a Haymarket).
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