The "military industrial complex" came into being in January, 1961, in a speech by President Eisenhower. Okay, not really. He was the first to use the term. The truth is that the making of arms as a big money maker found its stride just prior to America's entry into World War II. You see, to make scads of money on the very expensive process, you needed volume. A world war served that purpose. So how is it that the thing kept going after the war? Fear. There were the Soviets and the Korean War, Vietnam and the Chinese. There was the whole fear of getting overrun by the Reds -- Communists of any flavor. So we supplied weapons to allies and built up our own in the hopes that the Cold War wouldn't turn hot. Unfortunately, those "major threats" never materialized. Unfortunately, that is, for the military industrial complex. The wall came down in the '80s, the Soviet Union is no more, and China is doing just fine taking us down with spies and economics rather than weaponry. Military spending is down, and the military industrial complex is in trouble.
That was just an example of an economic boom built on crisis. It was a big money maker. (Frankly, still is, even if it isn't as big as it used to be.) The military market may be waning, but there are so many more like it. It feels as if that's the present purpose of the news media. You see, "news" isn't everyday stuff. No one wants to hear that "130 million people went to work today and didn't die in an accident." A silly example, for sure, but you get the idea. It has to be something outside of the ordinary for it to be news. So the news will tell us that "COVID is on the rise" because, as we all know, COVID was a major crisis a few years ago. Well, at least, that's how it was reported. While the WHO and the CDC and the rest bemoaned the dangers, it turns out that almost 99% of COVID deaths were not caused by the virus. Turns out that the mortality rate of the virus was less than 1%. But the news media ridiculed that claim and the sense that everyone got from it was that we're all going to die. Meanwhile, Forbes was reporting on 40 new billionaires who got rich off fighting the virus ... including 9 new Big Pharma billionaires.
COVID is just an example. If you pay attention to the news media, they are always touting the next big crisis with the expensive ways we'll have to face it. These crises may not even be real. (Think "Cold War".) That's okay. There's money to be made on your fear and there is terror enough to go around. That's when "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Php 4:6-7) becomes vital. And it's available to believers everywhere. No charge.
3 comments:
You are absolutely right, that crisis sells. It sells all sorts of things. Obviously when the feds mandate a miracle "vaccine", rush it through development, guarantee the makers freedom from liability, and then write a blank check, of course there will be billionaires. Although, given the silence on the left, those billionaires aren't the bad kind. Similarly, Ukraine is simply an excuse for the US to re fill the coffers of the MIC through a "crisis" that seems abstract as it relates to the US. But again, when the feds write a blank check, what are people going to do?
There is a balance that probably needs to be maintained. It seems important to provide our military with the best new technology and weapons possible, which means R&D and replacing old weapons with new regularly. There is also value in maintaining certain industries in the US, even if it means "wasting" money to keep them going. Shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing are the two that come to mind immediately.
It's too bad that "You can't let a good crisis go to waste.", has been adopted by everyone as an excuse to spend more and add more restrictions.
The world may fear war and famine and pestilence and death, but those four horseman have their authority from the Author that promises that everything happens for good for those that are His.
There's a big difference in realizing a true need versus inventing one for enrichment. Our military absolutely needs more funding, but that's because Biden's depleted our arms and there's a huge need to replace the existing political morons with true military people who understand the purpose of the military is to be the baddest S.O.B in the world...which serves us incredibly well when it's true rather than just believed to be. We were headed in that direction somewhat just less than three years ago.
Now, I don't know that the coffers are being filled because of Ukraine. Seems they're just being depleted. As such, a true crisis is forming, if it has not already become the reality.
As to depending upon the Lord, I'm totally down with that. Anyone who thinks it means in any way, shape or form that we need not expend effort for our own defense, our own sustenance or simply our own desire to serve Him in this life is foolish. Faith in Him to provide and our efforts to provide for ourselves go hand-in-hand.
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