"Typically enough, the current US approach to the world flows from struggles among representatives of contending interest groups, some of which, like the military-industrial complex (MIC), have a significant advantage in the fight. The weapons industry and its allies in the Pentagon and Congress wield a wide array of tools of influence, including tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions, more than 1,000 lobbyists, and jobs tied to military-related facilities in the states and districts of key members of Congress."
"The MIC-which my colleague Ben Freeman and I refer to in our new book as the trillion-dollar war machine-also has considerable influence over the institutions that shape our view of the world, from the media to DC think tanks, Hollywood, the gaming industry, and our universities. But the power and influence of the war machine are not going completely unchallenged. The grip of militarism and the institutions that profit from it are indeed being challenged by organizations like"
National security strategy documents often serve as branding rather than accurate predictors of future policy. Foreign and military policies are shaped by power and ideology, not by documents. The current US approach emerges from contests among interest groups, with the military-industrial complex holding significant advantages. The weapons industry and its allies in the Pentagon and Congress use campaign contributions, over a thousand lobbyists, and defense-related jobs to exert influence. The trillion-dollar war machine also shapes media, think tanks, Hollywood, gaming, and universities. That influence faces growing challenges from grassroots and veterans' antiwar organizations and longstanding peace groups.
Read at The Nation
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