Let's face it, the Military Industrial Complex

[Mr.Bill]

is our federal government's number one jobs program. If Congress turned off the money spigot at the Pentagon, I bet we would have over 25% unemployment. Not saying this is a good thing, but that's the way it is and has been since the Cold War began, maybe even before that.

Wouldn't it be nice if we took some money and turned it into a jobs program that instead of building weapons that we sell all over the world and used it right here to create jobs in health care, education, green energy, affordable housing, child care, etc.

And that folks, is what President Biden is trying to do right now in Washington and predictably republicans are fighting it with every bit of energy they have. And he isn't even threatening the Defense budget.

This is the message we need to get out.

[brush]

1. Wouldn't it be something if some of that money was used...

in green energy development and installation, along with the nationwide installations needed for the electric vehicles coming in the next decade?

Millions of jobs right there.

[Mr.Bill]

2. I did mention green energy,

but what you point to specifically is absolutely correct.

[Hoyt]

3. Congress recently increased defense budget by 3% or so, although not final.

[Mr.Bill]

4. Which is nuts.

In a world where our electrical grid or the safety of our tap water can be destroyed in a cyber attack, why are we building aircraft carriers? The answer is that Pentagon money spigot has been wide open for decades and works very well for some very rich people.

[Hoyt]

6. Agree. But as you mentioned, some of our best jobs are related to military.

[Mr.Bill]

9. Correct,

but that needs to change.

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. No war, time to to reduce the defense budget by 25%.

Take US Naval costs to protect Big Oil product to market and bill appropriately. Oil companies will raise cost at the gas pumps, making battery-motive tech more competitive.

[0rganism]

7. thus motivating the MIC to use its bought-and-paid-for officials to start some wars

there aren't any simple, just solutions anymore; we're far too corrupt for that
we took the wrong step years ago

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. Well, what the fuck.

Will continue to bitch and moan and post here at DU.

[0rganism]

10. exactly this

we do what we can, right? maybe someday something big happens to change the equation, but it hasn't happened yet

[essaynnc]

11. Got a better idea:

How about we tool up the MIC for a huge chunk of the Green New Deal?

Remember in WW2, the auto industry was quickly retooled from cars and buses to talks and military transport. I don't know this for a fact, but I bet that the government paid handsomely to help the "transition", and these companies profited because the government bought everything that they could produce.

While the transition from guided missiles to wind generators or rooftop solar units might not be straightforward, I'm sure that it could be accomplished. And we might be surprised what kind of innovation the war machine might bring to other, more peaceful pursuits???

What else could they make???? Charging stations?

[Mr.Bill]

12. That's exactly the kind of thing that needs to happen.

Unfortunately, our government is very good at doing just the opposite. For years the only way Harley-Davidson survived was a contract to build a short range missile for the military.