The way personnel spin through Washingtonโs infamous revolving door between the Pentagon and the arms industry is nothing new. That door, however, is moving ever faster with the appointment of UPatrick Shanahan, owachitha iminyaka engama-30 eBoeing, kwiPentagon's unokontraka wesibini ngobukhulu, njengonobhala obambeleyo wezokhuselo wolawulo lukaTrump.
UShanahan wayefudula engusekela-nobhala wezokhuselo, isikhundla esiqhelekileyo kwiminyaka yakutshanje kumntu onemvelaphi yoshishino lwezixhobo. UWilliam Lynn, uSekela-nobhala wokuqala wezoKhuseleko kaMongameli Obama, waba ngu URaytheon lobbyist. UAshton Carter, owangena ezihlangwini zakhe, waba ngu umcebisi kwinkampani enye. Omnye wamasekela kaMongameli uGeorge W. Bush, uGordon England, waye umongameli yeGeneral Dynamics Fort Worth Aircraft Company (kamva yathengiswa kuLockheed Martin).
Kodwa iShanahan yahlukile. Akukho nobhala wezokhuselo kwinkumbulo yamva nje oye wafumana umsebenzi omde kangako kwishishini lezixhobo kunye namava amancinci kangako kurhulumente okanye emkhosini. Kuninzi lwalo msebenzi, enyanisweni, eyona nto wayegxile kuyo yayikukuphumelela iikhontrakthi zokhuselo ze-Boeing, hayi ukwenza imigaqo-nkqubo yokhuselo esebenzayo. Ngelixa iPentagon kufuneka igxile ekukhuseleni ilizwe, ishishini leengalo lisebenza ngokusukela inzuzo, nokuba oko kuthetha. ukuthengisa iinkqubo zezixhobo kumazwe asebenza ngokuchasene nemidla yokhuseleko lwelizwe laseMelika.
Ezona zifaniso zikufutshane neShanahan zazi UCharlie Wilson, head of General Motors, whom President Dwight Eisenhower appointed to lead the Department of Defense (DoD) more than 60 years ago and John F. Kennedyโs first defense secretary, Robert McNamara, who baleka the Ford Motor Company before joining the administration. Eisenhowerโs choice of Wilson, whose firm manufactured military vehicles, raised concerns at the time about conflicts of interest โ but not in Wilsonโs mind. He famously claimed that, โfor years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa.โ
Indima entsha ka-Shanahan iphakamisa imibuzo malunga nokuba yintoni eyona nto inomdla kwi-Boeing - uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali olukhulu lokhuselo kunye nezivumelwano ezinkulu zezixhobo ezingafikelelekiyo nezingasebenziyo okanye iinqwelomoya - yeyona nto inomdla kuluntu.
Ukungqubana komdla okuxhaphakileyo
Ngokungafaniyo noWilson, uShanahan ubuncinci wavuma ngokungafihlisiyo ukubakho kongquzulwano lomdla kwindima yakhe entsha. iyavuma ukurhoxa kwizigqibo ezibandakanya umqeshi wakhe wangaphambili. Kodwa ukuba wayenokubambelela ngenene kweso sikhundla, kuya kufuneka aphephe uninzi lwezona zigqibo zibalulekileyo zolawulo kunye nezezimali zePentagon. Kunyaka ophelileyo, emva kwayo yonke loo nto, iBoeing ezifunyenweyo phantse i-30 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kwiikontrakthi ze-DoD zokusebenza kuyo yonke into ukusuka ekulweni, ukufaka i-refueling, uqeqesho, kunye neenqwelomoya ze-radar ukuya kwiibhombu, iidrones, iinkqubo zokukhusela imijukujelwa, imijukujelwa ye-ballistic, kunye neesathelayithi zomkhosi. Ukuba uShanahan ebenokubuya umva kwiingxoxo eziphathelele kuzo zonke ezi zinto, ebeya kuba ligosa lethutyana lePentagon, angakwazi nokongamela ukuba iBoeing kunye neenkampani ezinxulumene nazo ziyayizisa na into ecelwe ngumkhosi wethu.
Noko ke, sele kukho ubungqina bokuba uya kwenza nantoni na ngaphandle kokuyeka ukongamela, nokukhuthaza, inkampani yakhe endala. Thatha i-Boeing's F-15X, umzekelo. Ngokuchaseneyo iminqweno yoMkhosi woMoya, iPentagon yagqiba ekubeni ityale ubuncinci i-1.2 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kuloo nqwelomoya yokulwa, inguqulelo ephuculweyo yeBoeing F-15C/D, eyayithatyathelwe indawo nguLockheed Martin's. engathandabuzekiyo entsha F-35. Kubekho Iingxelo ukuba uShanahan sele elahle uLockheed, okhuphisana noBoeing, kwiingxoxo ngaphakathi kwePentagon. Ngoku ka Iindaba zeBloomberg, isigqibo sokutyalomali kwi-F-15X sasibangelwa, inxalenye encinci, "ukukhupha" kuye, xa wayesengusekela unobhala wezokhuselo.
Kwaye sesinye nje sekhontrakthi ezinkulu ezifunyenwe nguBoeing kulo nyaka uphelileyo. Ezinye ziquka a Inkqubo ye-9.2 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kwinqwelomoya entsha yoqeqesho loMkhosi woMoya, i Isivumelwano semali esingu-805 yezigidi kwinqwelomoya yokufaka i-refueling yoMkhosi waManzi, iinqwelomoya ezimbini ezintsha zikamongameli we-Air Force One ngexabiso lethegi. ubuncinci i-3.9 yezigidigidi zeedola, kunye nenkxaso-mali entsha ebalulekileyo ye-KC-46 yokufaka i-refueling tanker, inqwelomoya enenkathazo i-Air Force iye yasusa imveliso epheleleyo nangona inkulu. iziphene kusaza kuqwalaselwa. Ngelixa okwangoku akukho bungqina bokuba uShanahan ngokwakhe wayefuna ukwenza isikali ekuthandeni kukaBoeing kuyo nayiphi na yezi nkqubo, ayibonakali ilungile. Njengonobhala wezokhuselo, kuya kunyanzeleka ukuba abizwe kusompempe iingxaki ezinkulu eziya kuthi zivele ngenkqubo enye okanye ezingaphezulu, ngelo xesha umbuzo wokuthambekela ngakuBoeing uya kungena ngqo kumdlalo.
Abakhuseli bokuqeshwa kukaShanahan ukuba baqhube eyona nto inkulu kakhulu kurhulumente wobumbano cebisa ukuba izigqibo eziphambili zeBoeing aziyi kufikelela kwidesika yakhe. Oko, nangona kunjalo, yingxoxo ephosakeleyo kakhulu ngenxa yezizathu ezininzi. Ukuqala, xa besenza ezo zigqibo, abaphathi abakumgangatho ophantsi baya kukwazi ukuqhagamshelwa komphathi wabo kuBoeing - ngakumbi kuba uShanahan uye wavuma iingoma zenkampani yakhe yangaphambili ePentagon. Une wa gxi ninisa, umzekelo, ukuba inkqubo enkulu ye-F-35 yayingayi kuba nanye yeengxaki ezinzulu ezikhathazayo ngoku ukuba ibiqhutywa ngu-Boeing.
Ukongeza, i-Shanahan iya kube iphuhlisa imigaqo-nkqubo kunye neenkqubo eziqinisekileyo zokuchaphazela ngokuthe ngqo umgca wenkampani. Phakathi kwazo, uya kube ebeka izinto eziphambili kwi-DoD xa kuziwa ekujonganeni nezoyikiso. Umyalezo wakhe wokuqala kusuku lwakhe lokuqala njengonobhala obambeleyo, umzekelo, washwankathelwa ngokuthi โChina, China, China.โ Will he then prime the pump for expensive weapon systems like Boeingโs P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft designed specifically to monitor Chinese military activities?
Ngokukwanjalo uye waba yiPentagon oyena mthetheleli uthembekileyo xa kuziwa kuphuhliso loMkhosi omtsha weSikhathi, into enokwenzeka imincili UMongameli Trump. Uthethelele, umzekelo, ukunika i-Arhente yoPhuhliso lweNdawo, umzimba oza kuhlawuliswa ngokuphuhlisa impahla yendawo yasemkhosini, igunya "kwi-steroids" ukutyhala izivumelwano ezininzi ngaphandle komnyango. Njengomvelisi weesathelayithi zomkhosi, iBoeing ngoyena mntu unokuxhamla kuphuhliso olunjalo.
Emva koko kukho ukhuselo lwe-missile, enye entsha othandwayo ngumongameli. Shanahan yongamele icandelo lokhuselo lwe-missile ye-Boeing ngexesha apho enye yeenkqubo eziphuhliswayo yayiyi I-Airborne Laser, meant to zap launched nuclear missiles with lasers installed on Boeing 747 aircraft. The project, a dismal failure, was cancelled after more than $5 billion in taxpayer funds had been sunk into it. The Pentagonโs latest โStar Warsโ-style anti-missile technology, whose development was just announced by President Trump, calls for a major investment in an equally impractical set of technologies at a price that Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund suggests could reach $ 1 zezigidi kumashumi eminyaka ezayo.
Phakathi kweenkqubo zangoku ze-Boeing zokukhusela imijukujelwa yiNkqubo yoKhuselo yaseMidcourse eGround-Based, uluhlu lwemijukujelwa esekwe emhlabeni esele ikhona. Yahluleka uninzi lweemvavanyo zayo. Akunakwenzeka ukuba iya kuze isebenze ngokufanelekileyo kwimeko apho iintloko zemfazwe ezingenayo ziya kukhatshwa ngamanani amakhulu enkohliso. I-Ofisi yoHlahlo-lwabiwo-mali yeCongressional iye zichongiwe ukurhoxiswa kwenkqubo njengesigqibo esicacileyo esinokonga iimali ezibalulekileyo. Kodwa liliphi ithuba elikhoyo lokuba uShanahan angasixhasa eso sigqibo, kuba yonke loo minyaka wayethethela loo nkqubo yokhuselo lwemijukujelwa eBoeing?
Okanye thatha umgaqo-nkqubo wenyukliya. Inkampani yakhe yangaphambili ingomnye wabagqibezeli ababini bokwakha umjukujelwa omtsha we-intercontinental ballistic (ICBM). Abagxeki bezixhobo ezinjalo ezifana noNobhala wezoKhuselo uClinton UWilliam Perry bonisa ukuba i-ICBMs ngowona mlenze unobungozi kwaye ungeyomfuneko kwi-US triad yenyukliya, kuba kwimfazwe enokubakho kunokufuneka iqaliswe ngesaziso semizuzu kuphela, hleze ilahleke kwii-nukes zotshaba ezingenayo. Kwanabanye babaxhasi babo baye babuza imfuneko ye-ICBM entsha kraca xa abadala benokuphuculwa. Ookhetshe beNyukliya banokude bacengelwe ukuba bamkele isikhundla esinjalo, kuba iindleko zePentagon's ngaphesheya kwebhodi. $ 1.5 zezigidi โUkuphuculwaโ kwezixhobo zenyukliya zase-US (kubandakanywa nokuveliswa kweziqhushumbisi zenyukliya ezintsha, imijukujelwa, kunye neentloko zemfazwe) ngenye indlela iya kuqalisa ukuphazamisa izinto eziphambili kwisebe kwenye indawo. Kodwa angakanani amathuba okuba uShanahan azonwabisa ngokunzulu nezi zigxeko zithobekileyo xa esoyikisa ngokuphelisa usuku olukhulu lokubhatala iBoeing?
Ekugqibeleni, kukho umba wenkxaso yase-US kwimfazwe ekhohlakeleyo eyasungulwa yiSaudi Arabia kunye ne-United Arab Emirates (UAE) eYemen phantse iminyaka emine edlulileyo. Iinqwelomoya zokulwa ze-Boeing, iibhombu, kunye neehelikopta zokuhlasela ziye zadlala a indima esembindini kolo ngquzulwano, olubulale amashumi amawaka abemi, ngelixa ukuvalwa kwelizwe laseSaudi kubeke izigidi ezingakumbi emngciphekweni wendlala. Ukongeza, iBoeing iyaqhubeka nokuxhamla kwi-a Isivumelwano semali esingu-480 yezigidi inkonzo ye-F-15 enikezelwe kwiRoyal Saudi Air Force.
Apha, uMongameli uTrump uqinile kwikona yaloo nkampani. โI-Boeing, i-Lockheed, i-Raytheonโฆ Andifuni ukulimaza imisebenzi,โ watsho xelelwe 60 Imizuzu. Andifuni kuphulukana nomyalelo onje [ovela kurhulumente waseSaudi]. Ngaphambi kokurhoxa kwakhe, uNobhala wezoKhuseleko uJames Mattis wayehlala ebizwa ukuba anike izimvo ngemfazwe yaseSaudi kunye nokunceda umgaqo-nkqubo wase-US ubhekisele kweli lizwe kunye. kwi-UAE. Where will Shanahan stand on a war significantly fueled by the products of his former company?
Enyanisweni, kukho umzekelo ombi wemeko yangoku kaShanahan. The Ngenisa kwaye le Wall Street Journal have both reported that State Department Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Charles Faulkner, a former lobbyist for Raytheon, advocated giving Saudi Arabia a clean bill of health on its efforts to avoid hitting civilians in its air strikes in Yemen, lest Raytheon lose a lucrative bomb deal. So much for draining the swamp.
Ucango olujikelezayo lujikeleza zombini iindlela
UShanahan kunye noFaulkner kude ne kuphela abalawuli bangaphambili bezokhuselo okanye ii-lobbyists ukuba zizalise ulawulo lukaTrump. Unobhala woMkhosi woMoya uHeather Wilson wayesakuba yi-lobbyist ye-Lockheed Martin. U-Ellen Lord, okhokela ukuthenga ePentagon, wasebenza eTextron, umvelisi weebhombu kunye neehelikopta zomkhosi. Unobhala woMkhosi uMark Esper - ngenyameko njengokungena endaweni kaShanahan njengonobhala wezokhuselo - wayekhe waba ngummeli ophambili eRaytheon. Unobhala wezoKhuselo kuMgaqo-nkqubo uJohn Rood wayengusekela mongameli omkhulu eLockheed Martin. Kwaye ukongezwa kwamva nje kwiklabhu UCharles Kupperman, ochongwe njengosekela mcebisi wezokhuseleko lwesizwe. Umsebenzi wakhe ubandakanya i-stints kwi-Boeing kunye ne-Lockheed Martin. (Ibango lakhe lodumo: eqinisekisa ukuba iUnited States inokuphumelela imfazwe yenyukliya.)
Konke oku kungasentla, kubandakanya uPatrick Shanahan, batyhutyha loo mnyango wodumo ujikelezayo kwizikhundla zikarhulumente, kodwa uninzi lwangaphambili lwamagosa e-DoD kunye namagosa omkhosi akwinqanaba eliphezulu kudala ajikela kwelinye icala. Ngo-1969, umzekelo, uSenator weDemokhrasi yaseWisconsin uWilliam Proxmire, umlindi wePentagon odumileyo, wayesele esele. Kuchaza ingxaki ngale ndlela:
โThe easy movement of high-ranking military officers into jobs with major defense contractors and the reverse movement of top executives in major defense contractors into high Pentagon jobs is solid evidence of the military-industrial complex in operation. It is a real threat to the public interest because it increases the chances of abuseโฆ How hard a bargain will officers involved in procurement planning or specifications drive when they are one or two years from retirement and have the example to look at of over Ngama-2,000 XNUMX amagosa uqhuba kakuhle ngaphandle emva kokuthatha umhlalaphantsi?โ
Okanye, njengememo yangaphakathi yoMkhosi woMoya wowe-1983, yathi, โUkuba ikholoneli okanye umphathi-jikelele uyaphakama enze ingxabano ngeendleko eziphezulu kunye nomgangatho ophantsi, akukho ndoda ilungileyo iya kuza kumbona xa ethatha umhlala-phantsi.
Njengomgqatswa kamongameli, uDonald Trump wabonakala eyibona ingxaki ecacileyo yomnyango ojikelezayo kunye cetywayo isicwangciso sohlaziyo lweenqobo ezisesikweni ezinamanqaku amahlanu ukuze sicothise, ukuba asivalwanga ngokupheleleyo. Ngelishwa, i-Ethics Executive iyayalela beka endaweni xa sele e-ofisini wawa phantsi kwamabhongo akhe ephulo, eshiya ucango olujikelezayo lujikeleza ngobugeza. Entsha umbiko ukusuka kwiProjekthi yokuHlola kukaRhulumente iye yabhala amatyala angama-645 ngo-2018 kuphela apho amagosa karhulumente angaphambili abambe imisebenzi kwiikontraka eziphezulu ze-Pentagon ze-20. Inkokeli phakathi kwabo? Mhlawumbi awuyi kumangaliswa kukwazi ukuba yi-Boeing, ene-84 yokuqeshwa okunjalo.
Usekela-Admiral odla umhlala-phantsi UJeffrey Wieringa, owayekhokela iofisi yokuthengisa iingalo zePentagon, ngumzekelo. Kuloo ndima, wanceda ekukhuthazeni ukuthengiswa kwezixhobo zase-US kwihlabathi jikelele. Mhlawumbi ngenxa yoko, "uzenzele" isikhundla sokuba ngumongameli weenkonzo zehlabathi kunye nenkxaso kwi-Boeing ngaphantsi konyaka emva kokuthatha umhlalaphantsi. Ukude eyedwa. Umhlala-phantsi we-Admiral yangasemva UDonald Gaddis, igosa lenkqubo ye-Navy air systems, naye wajoyina inkampani, njengoko wenza umhlala-phantsi we-Air Force Major General Jack Catton, Jr., owayesebenza njengomlawuli weemfuno zoMyalelo wokuLwa koMoya ngaphambi kokufudukela eBoeing. Usekela-Admiral odla umhlala-phantsi UMark Harnitchek, owayesakuba yintloko ye-Arhente yoLungiselelo lwezoKhuselo, ejongene nokulawula $ 35 billion kwiimpahla kunye neenkonzo kwi-DoD yonke ngonyaka, ngokufanayo waba ngusekela mongameli e-Boeing.
Ukucothisa ucango olujikelezayo
Umgqatswa uDonald Trump ubone umnyango ojikelezayo phakathi kukarhulumente kunye neshishini njengengxaki. "Ndicinga ukuba nabani na okhupha ezi zivumelwano zinkulu akufuneki, ngexesha lobomi bakhe, avunyelwe ukusebenzela inkampani yezokhuselo, kwinkampani eyenza loo mveliso," utshilo. wathi. Njengoko kuqhubeka ukuhamba kwamagosa kuyo, nangona kunjalo, njengomongameli, akukho nto ayenzileyo ngaphandle kokukhupha loo mgxobhozo.
Ukuze enze oko, wayeya kuthi, njengesiqalo, agxininise kulawulo lwakhe ekuvaleni izithuba ezininzi kwimithetho yangoku ye-federal ethics, ethi, nangona ingafezekanga, ifune ukunciphisa ungquzulwano lomdla kwicala lamagosa karhulumente afudukela emsebenzini. kushishino. Phantsi komthetho wangoku, izithintelo zokuphembelela abo babefudula bengamagosa zinokuthintelwa ukuba bazibiza ngokuba โngabacebisiโ okanye โabaphathi bophuhliso lwamashishini.โ Ngokufanayo, owayesakuba ngamagosa ePentagon angaya kusebenzela umenzi wezixhobo abakhe bamnika ikontrakthi ukuba nje beqeshwe licandelo elahlukileyo laloo nkampani. Ukongeza, ngelixa iCongress ifuna ukuba iPentagon ilandele nabani na ohamba ngalo mnyango ujikelezayo, isiseko sedatha esenza njalo. zombini aziphelelanga kwaye ayifumaneki ukuba ijongwe luluntu.
Umgqatswa uTrump wayekwinto ethile. Nangona kunjalo, endaweni yokuphelisa ungquzulwano olucacileyo olukhoyo kumnyango ojikelezayo - olona phawu lokugqibela lomkhosi wezomkhosi osebenzayo - uMongameli uTrump uyawakhawulezisa. IMelika intle ngokwenene kwakhona, ukuba ungomnye wabo banethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo lokubuyela umva naphambili phakathi kwemisebenzi yeplum kwiPentagon kunye neshishini lezixhobo.
UMandy Smithberger ungumlawuli we Iprojekthi yoHlaziyo loMkhosi waseStraus kwiProjekthi yokuHlola kukaRhulumente (POGO).
UWilliam D. Hartung, a TomDispatch njalo, ngumlawuli weProjekthi yeZilwa noKhuseleko kwiZiko loMgaqo-nkqubo waMazwe ngaMazwe kunye nombhali we Abaprofeti beMfazwe: i-Lockheed Martin kunye nokwenziwa kwe-Complex ye-Military-Industrial Complex.
Eli nqaku lavela okokuqala kwi-TomDispatch.com, iblogi yeSizwe yeZiko, ebonelela ngokuhamba ngokuqhubekayo kweminye imithombo, iindaba, kunye noluvo oluvela kuTom Engelhardt, umhleli wexesha elide ekupapasheni, umseki weProjekthi yoBukhosi baseMelika, umbhali we Ukuphela kweNkcubeko yoloyiso, njengenoveli, Iintsuku zokuGqibela zokuPapasha. Incwadi yakhe yamva nje ithi Isizwe esingenziwanga yiMfazwe (Iincwadi zeHaymarket).
I-ZNetwork ixhaswa ngemali kuphela ngesisa sabafundi bayo.
Nikela