Bernie Sanders vs. The Military-Industrial Complex

[Cheese Sandwich]

2015 in Iowa

June 4 1992 from the floor of the House:

In the Senate:

Senator Bernie Sanders describes the workings of the MIC
Calls Out Defense Contractors and Lobbyists
Calls for Pentagon audit

One of the reasons I like Bernie Sanders is because he understands the military-industrial complex.

He sees it as a problem, talks about it regularly, and calls for modest, achievable reforms.

Sanders has his flaws like any politician.

But still he is the only major candidate willing to take on this vital issue in a direct way.

I don't think Hillary Clinton has or would ever speak against the power of the military-industrial complex, but I'll be happy if she does.

[Garrett78]

1. A phrase first coined by Dwight Eisenhower

If there was any remaining doubt that the US is a giant corporatocracy, consider that it was Eisenhower who first warned against the MIC.

And consider all of the points raised in this article: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/14/1336619/-Eisenhower-a-Liberal#

Yet people don't think the Democratic Party is beholden to "special"/corrupt interests?!? For realz?

[Cheese Sandwich]

19. Great points

Thanks

[marym625]

2. K&R!

Love it! Thank you for posting these!

[Cheese Sandwich]

20. You betcha

[azmom]

3. We've missed you Cheese.

Welcome back.

[Cheese Sandwich]

17. Thanks!

[sabrina 1]

4. Bernie: 'Let us wage a moral war on war itself ...

Haven't heard any other candidate be as clear as this on 'war' and the obscene amount of money we spend on all these unnecessary and horrendous wars, than Bernie.

[Cheese Sandwich]

22. That's deep...

I looked it up and found some context. Great quote.

Actually quite moving. Very inspirational. Thanks for posting.

Let us wage a moral and political war against the billionaires and corporate leaders, on Wall Street and elsewhere, whose policies and greed are destroying the middle class of America.

Let us wage a moral and political war against the gross wealth and income inequality in America, the worst in the industrialized world, which is tearing this country and our economy apart.

Let us wage a moral and political war against a dysfunctional health care system and fight for a Medicare-for-all single-payer system.

Let us wage a moral and political war against war itself, so that we can cut military spending and use that money for human needs.

Finally, let understand that when we stand together, we will always win. When men and women stand together for justice, we win. When black, white and Hispanic people stand together for justice, we win. When straight and gay people stand together for justice, we win. When young and old stand together for justice, we win. When working families stand together, we win.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/united-against-the-war-on_b_1464730.html

[sabrina 1]

5. Bernie: 'I voted against the Defense Budget .....

How many of our Reps are willing to face this enormous and imo, criminal spending and waste of money to enrich Defense Contractors, and it appears make more enemies around the world and actually vote AGAINST it? Not enough apparently or the Defense Budget would be one quarter at least of what it is right now.

[cascadiance]

7. And he also wants to provide incentives for the greedy rich to want the same thing!

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/236463-sanders-to-push-war-tax-for-millionaires-to-finance-piece-of-gop-budget

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is planning to offer an amendment to the GOP budget next week that would impose a new tax on millionaires to finance U.S. military operations.

The “war tax” will be one of the first Sanders will introduce during the vote-a-rama next week. During the back-to-back votes, senators are allowed to submit an unlimited amount of amendments.

“The Republicans took us into protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — and ran up our national debt by trillions because they chose not to pay for those wars. Instead, they put the cost of those wars on our national credit card,” Sanders said in a statement Friday.

[sabrina 1]

11. A War Tax! Absolutely, and I would like to see legislation that exempts those who oppose all these

wars for profit, from that tax. If you support it, you and your MIC 'heroes' can pay for it. I bet support for war would go down immensely if only those who support and/or profit from them, had to pay for them.

[Bubzer]

12. Totally stealing that pic!

*Yoink!*

Thanks!

[LWolf]

6. It's decades past time for some bold leadership here.

THIS time, people are listening.

[Cheese Sandwich]

23. Yes it's long overdue.

People are listening.

They compare this to the Kucinich campaigns but to me the Bernie campaign seems way way bigger.



edit: my spellcheck changes Kucinich to Zucchini.

[LWolf]

31. the 2 campaigns compare in one way.

Many of us who voted for DK are likely on board with Sanders.

That said, I think Sanders IS much bigger and broader, which is a great thing.

I think we've really got a decent chance this time around.

[WillyT]

8. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[Live and Learn]

9. K&R nt

[Gumboot]

10. Great to hear Bernie addressing this outrage.

With a staggering 1/3 of our national debt now due to fraud & waste at the Pentagon, I hope he'll send in an army of auditors to go through the books. That's if there are any books...

We spend 78x as much as Canada on defence, and to what end? Are we any safer...? No.

Not one single other candidate has even mentioned this (surprise surprise), so huge cheers to Bernie from me!

[JDPriestly]

14. Bernie's stance on this issue may be the reason that so many elected Democrats are backing

Hillary. Bringing this military-industrial pork home gets politicians re-elected.

Meanwhile, our infrastructure in America is in bad shape.

[Cheese Sandwich]

25. Whoa...

Great insight JDPriestly.

When you start taking on the M.I.C. then you're really taking on the center of power.

[arcane1]

27. Hillary also has well-funded Super-PACs backing her, who can share their $$ with other campaigns

Or they can withhold that money, or spend it on a primary opponent, depending on whether someone endorses her or not.

[840high]

28. Good point.

[JDPriestly]

13. K&R. I like the fact that Bernie Sanders is balanced on this issue.

He understands our vital need for a strong defense, but he recognizes that the waste and corruption in our defense industry, the defense lobby, the military-industrial industry and lobby if you will, undermine our ability to have a truly strong defense.

Thanks for posting this. I hope everyone on DU will watch those videos, especially Bernie volunteers.

[Cheese Sandwich]

18. Yes.

No politician is perfect but Bernie seems decent.

Thanks

[jalan48]

15. I'm not sure these folks get voted out of their positions.

They expect to keep their jobs regardless of the administration. Generals and ex-generals working for defense contractors have grown used to their big paychecks.

[NuclearDem]

16. ...

[neverforget]

21. This is what the MIC does:

It spreads out production of weapon systems over many Congressional districts/States so as to make it being cut very unlikely.

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-map-explains-the-f-35-fiasco-2014-8

The Pentagon has stuck with the F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter program despite dozens of technical problems and delays, strategic concerns, and massive cost overruns that have nearly doubled the initial cost estimate, raising the cost of building the planes to around $400 billion with a lifetime cost of up to $1.5 trillion.

One reason why the project has become such a boondoggle is that many states and countries are significantly invested in the plane, relying on its production for income and jobs.

Every U.S. state but Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Wyoming has economic ties to the F-35, with 18 states counting on the project for $100 million or more in economic activity, according to primary contractor Lockheed Martin. All told, the project is supposedly responsible for 32,500 jobs in the U.S. Globally, another nine countries have major ties to the F-35.

One way or another, America's multirole fifth-generation fighter is coming — though it was most recently delayed to September 2017.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-map-explains-the-f-35-fiasco-2014-8#ixzz3kGMDj9DA

[Cheese Sandwich]

24. Great point...

I noticed Bernie speaks about this exactly in one of those videos. Shows me he at least acknowledges the problem and describes it correctly.

[cantbeserious]

26. Skewering The Establishment One Chink At A Time - Go Bernie Go

eom

[daleanime]

29. K&R.....

[Thinkingabout]

30. Like the F-35, $167 billion over budget

http://www.businessinsider.com/f-35-cost-2014-2

And Bernie has doubled down on the F-35

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/24583-bernie-sanders-doubles-down-on-f-35-support-days-after-runway-explosion

[Cheese Sandwich]

33. Well nobody's perfect

[Uncle Joe]

32. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Cheese Sandwich.