The Truth about The Military Industrial Complex
It doesn't exist and hasn't since 1993.
The widely held belief in the existence of a "military industrial complex" is false and has not been true since 1993. The concept is more of a cognitive impediment than a reality.
Starting from Eisenhower's 1961 farewell address, I trace the evolution of defense and technology industries, highlighting their consolidation and the significant reduction in U.S. defense spending as a percentage of GDP since the Cold War. Then I contrast the profits of defense companies with those of big tech, pharmaceutical, and consumer product companies to demonstrate that defense contracting is not as lucrative or expansive as commonly believed.
The notion of a powerful military industrial complex is perpetuated by adversaries like Russia and China to justify their actions, I urge you to reconsider your perspectives based on the evidence provided.
Worksheets below:
Or in Excel here.
Annual reports:
References:
For more information about BRAC.
US defense budget as a portion of GDP. Also available from the DOD.
A personal account of “The Last Supper” from Norm Augustine of Martin Marietta.
The State of Competition within the Defense Industry and Merger Chart.
This is why I paid to be a member of Ryan's Substack. I learned so much from his presentation and I've had to reassess my assumptions.
Well done Ryan, keep the content coming.
You've made Jimmy Dore, Tulsi Gabbard, Breaking Points, RFK jr, Elon Musk, Lex Friedman, Glenn Greenwald, et al very very sad today.