The Militarization of America At What Cost PREPARED

The Militarization of America At What Cost? PREPARED BY PEACE ACTION MONTGOMERY WWW. PEACEACTIONMC. ORG

Topics 2 The Federal Budget and Military Spending Where Does the Money Go? Arming the World What Does American Militarism Cost You? What You Can Do

The Federal Budget Military Spending 3

Total Federal Budget, FY 2010 Both Discretionary & Mandatory 4 Mandatory: Required by law Examples: • Interest on Debt (9. 5%) • Social Security (21%) • Medicare • Unemployment Discretionary: Negotiated each year Examples: • Military • Education • Research Source: National Priorities Project

Discretionary Budget Authority FY 2010 5 “All other” includes: • Environment • Science • Transportation • International affairs • Everything else except entitlements and debt. Source: National Priorities Project

Obama Budget Proposal FY 2011 6 Source: National Priorities Project, FY 2011

Growth in Military Spending Excluding Wars 7 Billions, 2010 Dollars DOD Budget Authority, Base Pentagon, Excluding Wars 600 550 500 450 400 350 300 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Source: Project on Defense Alternatives

Discretionary Spending By Category, 2009 8 Billions of Dollars Source: Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Briefing Book

2010 Budget: Military Recruitment vs. Peace Corps 9 Dollars Sources: American Forces Press Service; Peace Corps Web Site

U. S. Military Spending vs. Other Countries, In Rank Order, FY 2009 10 Source: Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation

U. S. Job Creation with $1 Billion Spending Number of Jobs Created 11 Education Health Care Clean Energy Consumption Military Source: U of MA, Political Economy Research Institute

Montgomery County Citizens’ Share of Military Expenditures, FY 2010 Budget 12 About $3 billion or $2, 000 person Source: National Priorities Project

With $3 Billion, Montgomery County Could Instead Have Paid For: 13 All expenses at a public university for four years for every 18 -year-old in the County, and Renewable electricity for three years for all the homes in the county, and Over 5, 000 new affordable housing units. Source: Computed from National Priorities Project and census

State of Maryland 14 MD portion FY 2010 military budget: $13. 7 bn State FY 2010 budget: Estimated shortfall: $13. 9 bn 2. 6 bn Proposed state spending cuts: Public Health Disabled Education Source: National Priorities Project, Out of Balance

How Much Could We Cut the Military Budget? 15 Andrew Bacevich: We should reduce the US military budget to a level that does not exceed the combined military spending of all ten of the next highest-spending countries in the world. Source: National Priorities Project—Security Spending Primer

Where Does the Money Go? 16 • War costs • Foreign military bases • War profiteers

Military Budget, 2011 17 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Total War Costs Iraq and Afghanistan Through 2010 18 Total direct cost of both wars by 2010: over $1 trillion Iraq: Af/Pak: Total: $747 billion $332 billion (including epected June supplemental of $33 billion) $1. 079 trillion Source: National Priorities Project

$1 Trillion is a Thousand Billion 19 Imagine that you spent $1 million/day beginning with the birth of Jesus—to spend a trillion dollars, you’d need to keep spending $1 million/day until mid-way through the 28 th century. If you laid out $1 trillion end-to-end in $100 bills, you could circle the Earth at the equator 39 times. A trillion dollars could pay the salaries for a year of 18 million people at $55, 000 per job.

Afghanistan War Costs 20 Total U. S. defense spending in Afghanistan, FY 2010: $101 billion. $1 million: cost to send one soldier to Afghanistan for one year $400 per gallon: US military’s cost of gasoline in Afghanistan Source: Congressional Research Service Report RL 33110

Afghanistan War vs. World Military Spending 21 In 2010, the United States will spend more on the war in Afghanistan than any other country in the world spends in total on the military. Source: Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation; Reuters

It’s a Choice! 22 Are lengthy occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan how we want to spend our money? We have other threats!

Where Does the Money Go? 23 • War costs • Foreign military bases • War profiteers

U. S. Foreign Military Bases 24 The US maintains about 1, 000 foreign military bases Foreign bases cost taxpayers about $250 billion per year Source: Foreign Policy in Focus

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Floating Bases 26 The U. S. has 11 nuclear powered aircraft supercarriers—the entire rest of the world has 11 carriers, and these are all much smaller than those of the U. S. The U. S. maintains over 100 deployed ships and submarines at any given time—with 30, 000 sailors afloat. Source: United States Navy; Project on Defense Alternatives

Military Bases as the New Imperialism 27 95% of all the military bases on another country’s soil are U. S. bases. “Once upon a time, you could trace the spread of imperialism by counting up colonies. America's version of the colony is the military base. ” Chalmers Johnson, 2004 Source: Chalmers Johnson

The Movement to End Foreign Bases 28 International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases: www. no-bases. org Source: International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases

Foreign Bases: A Provocation 29 The Declaration of Independence criticizes the British "for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us" and "for protecting them. . . from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States. “ Foreign bases create enemies and make us less safe.

Where Does the Money Go? 30 • War costs • Foreign military bases • War profiteers

War Profiteers 31 Definition: Any person or organization that improperly profits from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war. How do we define “improperly”?

War Profiteers 32 Are huge profits improper? Is it acceptable for some people to make literally millions of dollars--because thousands of others die? Is it improper if contractors lobby for wars that they benefit from financially? Is it improper if contractors’ products are shoddy? If contractors engage in fraud and highly wasteful practices?

War Profiteers Example: Lockheed Martin 33 84% Percent of L/M profits derived directly from US tax payers, 2008 $4. 4 billion Amount of tax-payer money distributed as profit, 2008 $30, 939, 233 Total compensation of Lockheed Martin CEO, 2007 $28, 253, 165 Total compensation of 6 other executives, 2007 Sources: LM Company Statements; Company Pay. Com

Lockheed Martin 34 Paid $577. 2 million in fines because of contract fraud since 1995 Found guilty of 50 instances of various kinds of misconduct (including contractor kickbacks, nuclear safety violations, fraud, etc. ) Consistently behind schedule and over budget. Source: Project on Government Oversight

Lockheed Martin Cost Overrun Example: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter 35 Original contract: $5 o million per plane New estimate: $113 million per plane Pentagon plan: purchase 2, 450 Total cost: $323 billion. A single weapons system is now estimated to cost almost one-third of what the health-care plan is expected to cost over a decade. Source: Tom Engelhardt

Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence 36 Political donations, 2008 cycle: $2, 801, 455 (from L/M PACs and individuals, per FEC) Paid lobbying, 2008: $15, 981, 506 Source: Open Secrets

Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence 37 Geographic distribution of subcontractors “The ideal weapons system is built in 435 Congressional districts and it doesn’t matter whether it works or not. ” Alain C. Enthoven, economist and former Pentagon official In 2009, Lockheed Martin placed full-page ads in the Washington Post showing the number of jobs for F-22 construction, by Congressional district, throughout the nation.

Lockheed Martin: Forms of Influence—The Revolving Door 38 Lockheed's former vice-president, Bruce Jackson, worked in the DOD, and then organized and chaired the “non-profit” Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (2002 -03): It lobbied hard for the Iraq war—a war that dramatically increased Lockheed Martin profits 8 other senior Bush Administration members had similar ties to Lockheed Martin Source: Hartung & Ciarrocca

The War Profiteer Circle 39 Contracts: $$ Profits $$ Revolving Door Lobbying Political Donations

What Do Military Contractors Do? 40 Feed troops Maintain facilities and equipment Transport cargo Wash clothes Provide security guards for bases and diplomats Engage in military actions Contractors are doing everything that used to be done solely by the military—for a profit.

Contractors vs. Troops in Afghanistan 41 Source: Congressional Research Service

Who Are Mercenaries? 42 Soldiers-for-hire or “private security contractors. ” They are recruited from all over the world.

Outsourcing the Military 43 “The United States has created a new system for waging war. . . You turn the entire world into your recruiting ground. You intricately link corporate profits to an escalation of warfare and make it profitable for companies to participate in your wars. ” “We live amidst the most radical privatization agenda in the history of our country. ” Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill Source: Bill Moyers Interview

Outsourcing the Military 44 Powerful companies promote war because it is profitable, not because of the interests of the nation The profit motive can be counter to the military’s goals and the nation’s Oversight of contractors is negligible and contractors often do poor jobs—costing lives and more money Cost-plus contracts , the most common DOD-type contract, encourage waste and unnecessary spending

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Is It Possible to End War Profiteering 46 FDR: Supported broad increases in the corporate income tax; Raised the excess-profits tax to 90 percent; and Charged the Office of War Mobilization with the task of eliminating illegal profits.

Outsourcing War & Democracy 47 As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 1864

Arming the World: Costs Associated with Aid & Sales 48

U. S. : Arms Dealer to the World 49 Arms Transfer Agreements with The World, By Supplier, 2008 U. S. Italy Russia France Germany China All Others 0 50 100 Percentage of Total Transfers Source: Congressional Research Service, Sept. 2009

Sales to Other Countries: Example Israel 50 Proposed U. S. Military Aid to Israel FY 2009 -FY 2018: $30 billion Israel is required to use 74% of its aid money on U. S. purchases, totaling $24. 4 billion. Source: Congressional Research Service: US Foreign Aid to Israel

Sales to Other Countries Example: Israel 51 Pentagon Seeks $15. 2 B Fighter Sale to Israel Sept. 30, 2008 “The Defense Department said today it wants to sell up to 75 fighter jets to Israel in a $15. 2 billion deal. . . The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it notified Congress on Friday that Israel has asked to buy 25 of the F-35 s made by Lockheed Martin Corp. , with an option to buy an additional 50 at a later date. ” Newser Online News Journal

Sales to Other Countries: Example Israel 52 US gives Israel billions of dollars US requires Israel to spend most of it by buying from US arms manufacturers Israel buys planes from Lockheed Martin makes more profits

53 White phosphorus: Causes deep burns through muscle and down to the bone, continuing to burn until deprived of oxygen. Can contaminate other parts of the body, poisoning and irreparably damaging internal organs. Is extremely painful and very lethal. White phosphorus was used extensively in the war on Gaza 2008 -09 Fragments of a US-made M 155 white phosphorus carrier artillery shell fired by Israeli forces into Gaza Source: Amnesty International

54 War on Gaza, ‘ 08 -’ 09: American-made planes Dropping Americanmade bombs Paid for with American taxpayer funds Remains of a US-made Hellfire missile that killed 3 paramedics and a child in Gaza. Source: Amnesty International

What Does the Militarization of America Cost You? 55 • Economic Costs • Environmental Costs • Cost to Democracy

A Weaker Economy 56 The more a country spends on the military relative to its economy: The slower the economic growth The higher the unemployment The slower the productivity growth Source: Council on Economic Priorities

A Weaker Economy 57 Money to finance wars displaces productive investment, for example to rebuild infrastructure at home. As a result of not making these investments, future output in the U. S. will be smaller. Source: Stiglitz and Bilmes, The Three Trillion Dollar War

Economic Costs: Debt Service 58 Interest costs alone are so high that they will soon dwarf federal spending on other priorities Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007

Personal Costs Projected Costs of Wars: $3. 5 Trillion by 2017 59 Almost $50, 000 per Family Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007

Total Estimated Costs of Iraq & Afghanistan: $3. 5 Trillion 60 With $3. 5 trillion, for the next 133 years, we could send every 18 -year-old in the U. S. to a state university. We could pay all their education expenses --tuition, fees, and room and board--for four years.

Is the Money We Are Spending Making Us Safer? 61 Have the wars made us safer? Do hundreds of foreign bases make us safer? Do expensive cold war-era weapons make us safer? Is our reliance on expensive contractors improving our safety? Do weapons sales and military aid to other countries make us safer?

Seeking Security: Other Ways to Spend Our Money 62 Diplomacy Nonproliferation Contributions to International Organizations Contributions to Peacekeeping UN Peacebuilding Stabilization and Reconstruction Economic Development Alternative Energy Source: Foreign Policy in Focus, Unified Security Budget

Seeking Security: Other Ways to Spend Our Money 63 First Responder Grants Public Health Workforce Capacity Infectious Disease Control/Global Health In-Line Airport Checked Bag Screening Port security grants Public transportation security grants Transportation security training Chemical site security Source: Foreign Policy in Focus, Unified Security Budget

What Does the Militarization of America Cost You? 64 • Economic Costs • Environmental Costs • Cost to Democracy

Environmental Costs 65 The U. S. military is the biggest polluter in the world, generating an estimated 750, 000 tons of toxic waste every year. The military burns an estimated 20 million gallons of gasoline daily—about the same as the entire country of Iran. Sources: Graydon Carter; Barry Sanders

What Does the Militarization of America Cost You? 66 • Economic Costs • Environmental Costs • Cost to Democracy

Threat to Democracy 67 Militarism restricts freedom at home Freedom of speech (e. g. , Eugene Debs imprisoned for several years because of opposition to World War I) People today fearful of protesting—might lose jobs

Threat to Democracy 68 Militarism involves immense amounts of money that corrupt the political system Campaign contributions and election ads by war profiteers Lobbying by war profiteers and other corporations (e. g. , oil) Militarism leads to secrecy which is incompatible with democracy The “State Secrets Privilege”: invoked 23 times by Bush & used to dismiss entire cases without regard to the merits—now used by Obama The hiding of the “Pentagon Papers” during the Vietnam War

Threat to Democracy 69 Militarism erodes fundamental rights Denial of Habeas Corpus in “War on Terror” Legalization of torture Military Commissions Act of 2006, creating kangaroo courts Militarism demonizes certain citizens--who then lose basic rights Japanese-Americans in WW II Muslims and Arab Americans today

Threat to Democracy 70 Militarism expands government surveillance of citizens Patriot Act NSA data mining Militarism leads to powerful secret paramilitary organizations, illegal actions by government, and lack of accountability—destroying the rule of law CIA – Illegal violence in Chile, Iran, Central America, Pakistan “Extraordinary rendition”— kidnappings and disappearances CIA Black Sites—secret prisons, beyond any law

Threat to Democracy 71 Of all the enemies to public liberty war is. . . most to be dreaded because it comprises. . . the germ of every other. . . No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. James Madison

What Does the Militarization of America Cost You? 72 BECAUSE OUR ECONOMY IS WEAKER DUE TO EXCESSIVE MILITARY SPENDING, WE HAVE: Less to invest in new businesses and new ways of doing things Less to spend on health, education, infrastructure, art and culture WE ALL HAVE TO WORK HARDER AND LONGER HOURS, JUST TO STAY EVEN. WE ENDANGER THE ABILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS TO LIVE ON EARTH. WE PLACE THE FUTURE OF OUR DEMOCRACY AT RISK.

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The Cost of Militarism 77 Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron. Dwight Eisenhower

What We Can Do 78 Lobbying Electoral Work Public Education Media Outreach Street Activism

You Can Lobby 79

You Can Help Elect Progressive Candidates 80

You Can Help Us Inform Our Community 81

You Can Be Part of the New Media 82

You can be in the streets! 83

Be A One-Minute Activist 84 Don’t feel like you can make that kind of time? There are other ways you can be part of the solution: Sign up for Peace Action Montgomery’s bi-monthly email letter—and take the actions we suggest Host an educational event with your church, community group, neighborhood Contribute to an organization working for peace: money is power Find what you can do—and do that

Peace Action Montgomery www. Peace. Action. MC. org 85

Sources 86 American Forces Press Service, http: //www. smallgovtimes. com/2009/05/proposed-militaryrecruiting-cuts-reasonable American Friends Service Committee, http: //www. countdowntowithdrawal. org/ Amnesty International, http: //www. amnesty. org. uk/uploads/documents/doc_20012. pdf Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation, 2009 Briefing Book, http: //www. armscontrolcenter. org/assets/pdfs/fy 09_dod_request_briefing_book. pdf Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “Putting Afghanistan Troop Increases in Perspective, ” Dec. 2. http: //www. armscontrolcenter. org/policy/securityspending/articles/120209_afghanistan_costs_in_ perspective/ Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “Analysis of 2010 Defense Authorization Agreement, ” Oct. 21, 2009. http: //www. armscontrolcenter. org/policy/securityspending/articles/102109_c 111_fy 10_authconf/ Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation: http: //www. armscontrolcenter. org/ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, http: //www. cbpp. org/cms/index. cfm? fa=view&id=1258 Chalmers Johnson, America’s Empire of Bases. http: //www. tomdispatch. com/post/1181/chalmers_johnson_on_garrisoning_the_planet Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Interim Report, June 2009: http: //www. wartimecontracting. gov/docs/CWC_Interim_Report_At_What_Cost_06 -10 -09. pdf Company Pay. Com: http: //www. companypay. com/executive/compensation/lockheed-martincorp. asp? yr=2008

Sources, continued 87 CNN , Congress to Probe Private Military Contractors in Afghanistan: http: //www. cnn. com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/17/afghanistan. contractors. probe/ Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Report. War At Any Price? : http: //jec. senate. gov/index. cfm? Fuse. Action=Reports&Content. Record_id=c 6616188 -7 e 9 c 9 af 9 -716 c-d 2 ecbc 191 d 33&Region_id=&Issue_id= Congressional Research Service Report RL 33110, September 28, 2009 http: //www. fas. org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL 33110. pdf Congressional Research Service Report R 40764, September 21, 2009, http: //www. fas. org/sgp/crs/natsec/R 40764. pdf Congressional Research Service Report RL 33222, US Foreign Aid to Israel, http: //www. fas. org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL 33222. pdf Congressional Research Service: http: //fpc. state. gov/documents/organization/129342. pdf Anita Dancs, Mary Orisich, Suzanne Smith, The Military Costs of Securing Energy (National Priorities Project – October 2008) http: //www. nationalpriorities. org/auxiliary/energy_security/executive_summary. pdf Tom Englehardt: Tomdispatch, http: //www. tomdispatch. com/blog/175219/tomgram%3 A_william_astore%2 C_you_have_no_say_a bout_your_military/? utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3 A+tom dispatch%2 Fes. UU+%28 Tom. Dispatch%3 A+The+latest+Tomgram%29

Sources, continued 88 Foreign Policy in Focus: http: //www. fpif. org/ Foreign Policy in Focus, A Unified Security Budget: http: //www. ips-dc. org/reports-list. php? start=6 http: //multinationalmonitor. org/mm 2003/03 jan-feb/jan-feb 03 corp 2. html Friends Committee on National Legislation, “Keeping Military Spending in Balance with the Nation’s Priorities, ” March 16, 2009. http: //www. fcnl. org/issues/item. php? item_id=3538&issue_id=19 William Hartung and Michelle Ciarrocca, “ Corporate Think Tanks and the Doctrine of Aggressive Militarism, ” The Multinational Monitor, Jan/Feb. 2003. Huck Gutman, http: //www. redrat. net/BUSH_WAR/mercenaries/index. htm#mercs Iraq Coalition Casualties: http: //icasualties. org/oif/ Jeremy Scahill, interviewed by Bill Moyers, June 2009. http: //www. organicconsumers. org/articles/article_18211. cfm John Feffer, “Good War vs. Great Society, ” Foreign Policy in Focus, Sept. 22, 2009. http: //www. fpif. org/fpifzines/wb/6433 Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, The Three Trillion Dollar War, Norton & Co. , 2008. Just Foreign Policy: http: //www. justforeignpolicy. org/iraqdeaths. html National Priorities Project: http: //www. nationalpriorities. org National Priorities Project Security Spending Primer: http: //www. nationalpriorities. org/Publications/NPP_Security_Spending_Primer. pdf

Sources, continued 89 National Priorities Project, Out of Balance: http: //www. nationalpriorities. org/webinars/out-ofbalance National Priorities Project, President’s Budget FY 2011: http: //www. nationalpriorities. org/Presidents_Budget_FY 2011 Newser: http: //www. newser. com/story/38814/pentagon-seeks-152 b-fighter-sale-to-israel. html Open Secrets: http: //www. opensecrets. org/indivs/index. php? capcode=mwkzr&name=Lockheed&state=&zip=&emp loy=&cand= and http: //www. opensecrets. org/lobby/clientsum. php? year=2008&lname=Lockheed+Martin Peace Corps Web Site, http: //www. peacecorps. gov/index. cfm? shell=resources. media. press. view&news_id=1452 Political Economy Research Institute, U. of Mass. , Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier , “The U. S. Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities , ” , Oct. 9, 2009: http: //www. ipsdc. org/reports/071001 -jobcreation. pdf Project on Defense Alternatives: http: //www. comw. org/pda/1002 Budget. Surge. html Project on Defense Alternatives, http: //www. comw. org/pda/fulltext/1001 PDABM 45. pdf Project on Government Oversight, http: //www. pogo. org/pogo-files/alerts/contract-oversight/co-fcm 20090421. html Refugees International: http: //www. refugeesinternational. org/content/article/detail/9679

Sources, continued 90 Reuters, Chinese Military Spending: http: //www. reuters. com/article/id. USTRE 6230 A 720100304 Right Web: Committee for the Liberation of Iraq: http: //www. rightweb. irconline. org/profile/Committee_for_the_Liberation_of_Iraq Salary. com: http: //swz. salary. com/salarywizard/layouthtmls/swzl_compresult_national_lg 12000010. html U. S. Budget: http: //www. whitehouse. gov/omb/budget/fy 2010/assets/summary. pdf. United States Navy Fact File, http: //www. navy. mil/navydata/fact_display. asp? cid=4200&tid=200&ct=4, accessed November 15, 2009. War Resisters League: http: //www. warresisters. org/ Ycharts: Lockheed Martin: http: //ycharts. com/companies/LMT