The powerful military-industrial complex, with generous campaign contributions funneled via K-Street lobbyists to both parties, celebrated a huge victory yesterday. By getting overwhelming majorities in both chambers to approve a whopping, unprecedented $856 billion Pentagon bill, America’s defense industries are assured of continued prosperity for years to come. Pentagon budgets are rarely cut year after year and generally only rise with time.
The amount was $45 billion more than what President Biden, a huge spendthrift who loves deficit expenditures, requested. The war in Ukraine and tensions in the Taiwan Strait were used as justification for the massive bill. Never mind that neither issue was on Congressional minds a year ago or need have been today had the State Department resorted to diplomacy rather than promoting war.
Hellbound and Down 