The Money Defense Shield, Paul Rogat Loeb, The Christian Science Monitor
When Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time (1999, St. Martin's), was asked to speak to a group of Lockheed Martin employees a few years ago, he was hesitant. But, though not a big advocate of the Military Industrial Complex, he decided to go ahead and speak as honestly as possible. During the course of his speech he outlined some very eye-opening facts. For instance, that the average American pays over $200 per year to finance Lockheed Martin's government contracts. And that Seattle-based Boeing alone 'had more staffers in its DC lobbying office than the entire DC staff of Washington State's Congressional and Senatorial delegations combined.' In a recent op-ed for The Christian Science Monitor, Loeb's argues forcefully that the Bush administration's plans for a missile defense shield are not about national defense at all. Rather, he contends, the whole boondoggle is meant to guarantee the continued streams of public money that line the pockets of the defense contractors. Why else would 'weapons producers have spent over $40 million in the last two years on campaign contributions and lobbying,' as Loeb points out?
--Al Paulson
Go there>>