Muleskinner

Issue date: 10/5/06 Section: Opinion

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves caught up in the daily routine. We become so focused on what's going on inside our lives that we forget to peer out every once in a while, and check up on how things are going on the outside.

I recently watched a movie titled "Why We Fight."

The film was about a topic that was brought to light in President Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell speech- the military industrial complex.

The idea behind the military industrial complex is the military contracts out projects to corporations to produce goods, hire and coordinate services, etc.

These contracts in turn produce jobs for these corporations and then bring billions of dollars into the economy.

While this all sounds good, the problem arises when the economic value of weapons and military defense surpasses the need for such armament.

Could it be possible that we must seek conflicts outside "imminent threats" to help keep this economic flow continue on its path?

The U.S. military budget is larger than the 14 closest country's military budgets combined.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2003, the United States accounted for approximately 47 percent of the world's military spending. However it is stated, this is an enormous amount of money spent to accomplish fairly little over the past few years.

What is a country to do when it has invested so much money into defense and weapons, and in turn wants to keep the economic flow alive?

The same thing a kid who bought a bunch of toys would do - play with them.

There are those who will say this could not happen and our government wouldn't betray its people in such a way.
I hope they're right. But look at the history.

It was the need to produce weapons and goods during World War 2 that pulled this country out of a depression.
How many countries have we invaded and meddled with since the beginning and end of the Cold War?

I don't look to change people's views with this piece, just to remind them that sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives that it is possible to overlook important issues everyday.

As Eisenhower said in his farewell speech, "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."

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