When President Dwight David Eisenhower left the stage as president of the United States in 1961, he warned of the military-industrial complex he was leaving behind. Sounds ominous, right? And that complex has had 60 years to harden in place since Eisenhower’s farewell address.
But what is the military-industrial complex? Is it a war-mongering machine out to kill us all at a profit? Is it a bunch of old boys networking to sell $700 hammers to the Pentagon through no-bid deals? Was Eisenhower overstating a problem that only he could see?
We spoke with Emma Salisbury, who just finished a Ph.D. thesis on the subject. As with virtually everything on Angry Planet, the truth was more complicated than you might think.
Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.
https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe
Angry Planet has a Substack! Join to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.
https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribe
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/warcollege.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Everything We Know About Fifth Generation Fighters
North Korea’s Long Game
What Star Wars Can Teach the American Military
The Life of a Special Operations Physician Assistant
Is NASA Lost in Space?
How Germany Kicked France’s Ass So Fast in World War II
ICYMI: How the West Has Aided Democracy’s Decline
The Return of Nuclear Anxiety
Surprise! It’s President Putin All Over Again
Inside the Occult Neo-Nazis Killing People in America
The Double Agent Who Busted a Russian Spy at Hooters
ICYMI: What's the Point of Nuclear Weapons?
Iran’s Red State Revolt
On the Frontlines of Turkey’s Invasion of Syria
The Most Important Middle Eastern Country You’ve Never Heard Of
How Modern China Got That Way
DARPA Is the Disney of the Defense Department
Prestige Weapons Systems are Busting the Pentagon’s Budget
Will the B-21 Bomber Break the Mold, or the Budget?
The Military Reality Behind Star Wars
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free