Welfare State For The Arms Industry

War costs money, of course, and the cost is met by the tax payers of the participating states.  But, it seems such a waste of money.  Those missiles and bombs cost so much money to develop and to build and then BANG! they are gone.

The point is that the arms are supposed to be used up.  The arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin are not able to make continuous huge profits if they sold the weapons once; the sales must continue, repetitively.  Governments must constantly imagine, create and invent reasons to facilitate the flow of taxes from the public to the grubby, grabby hands of the arms industry.  New war opportunities are always sought, as is the deliberate prolonging of any existing conflicts.  The demand for the supply of arms must always exist.

The structure within governments to ensure a willingness to participate in this welfare system for the arms industry is highly developed: The industry targets members of governments, such as MPs, or prospective MPs before elections, and even seeks to persuade individuals already on board to stand for election.  The usefulness of these elected representatives is maintained by regular generous “donations” and, crucially, promises of lucrative consultancy posts when the political career has reached its end.  Those who have already completed their political work and work as consultants are used to lobby government directly, or via a compliant media.  A former politician can present her or his lobbying of government as independent, when, in fact, it is the opposite.  Senior arms forces officers are targeted similarly.  Many so-called “independent” analysts of armed conflict are ex-armed forces officers whose lobbying work started before they retired from the forces and continues rigorously afterward.  Indeed, a promotion within the highest ranks of the armed forces is more important to the lobbying pay-grade of the officer promoted than it is to her or his greater authority and responsibility as a soldier.  This flow chart provides a summary.

It is a welfare system for the arms industry, funded by tax-payers, and with a by-product of death and destruction.

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