Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen


Boondoggle, Inc: Military Industrial Complex on Autopilot

May 21, 2019

Sure there’s the $750 billion Pentagon budget for FY 2020. But real military spending is nearly twice that. There are many opaque agencies which are secretive in their use of other taxpayer money, according to our guest William Hartung Director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. Whatever is most likely to be effective at preventing war has their budget cut. Like diplomacy. And obsolete but really big weapons systems do not lack or funds. Of course the Pentagon has never been audited. Our American culture rubber stamps hundreds of billions for unknown expenditures that add nothing to our national security. Meanwhile veterans are forced to beg on TV for help. Hartung provides the details. But recent events show public outcry can work.