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The US Military-Industrial Complex is a large and powerful beast that's deeply ingrained and woven throughout the entire fabric of the American government. As President Theodore Roosevelt stated... "If you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
Without an "enemy" or adversary, the military-industrial complex would stagnate and the American economy would simply collapse. Politicians, lobbyists, and business leaders who've gained power and coercive control through the MIC would become powerless an ineffective... that's a bitter pill to swallow.
In his Farewell Address to the Nation in 1961, President Eisenhower warned of the MIC's influence...
"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction...
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. 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. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."
Is China a "real" or "imaginary" enemy of the US? Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, China assumed the role of "enemy" in the eyes of American politicians and the MIC, there's no doubt about that. China simply fills a need. |
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