As far as I can tell, many Americans don't have any problems with US jobs being linked to weapons production. I would think most people would be outraged that a significant portion of our economy is based on lethal weapon production and export to conflict areas (areas we initiated conflicts in quite often). As long as a good proportion of the public does not find anything wrong with this, then there will be no pressure to end it.
On a thoroughfare near where we moved in in the late '80s, there were many factories where with jobs supporting families. Today, the only one left is a defense contractor.
Don't know if there is cause and effect, but would be glad to trade the defense contractor for all the old jobs.
Glad to see this article today, Bill. Yesterday I was reading that same 43% stat on US weapons sales. We know the US Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex is making a killing off the Ukraine War and the Israeli Genocide in Gaza.
With all his character faults, I pray Trump does the right thing and makes Peace with Russia. As he said to Zelensky, the alternative is WWIII.
On the other hand, Russia has every good reason to be skeptical of Trump/US intentions because of Russia's experience with the US promise not to expand NATO beyond the the reunified Germany after the Soviet Union collapse along with the Warsaw Military Pact opposite NATO and the Minsk Accords.
German Chancellor Angela Merkle and French President Hollande both said publicly Ukraine and the US had no intention to implement the provisions that would have given the majority Russian speaking Ukrainians bordering Russia a degree of Independence and Autonomy. Instead it was meant to pacify Russia as Biden/US/NATO armed Ukraine in the WAR the US wanted to weaken Russia.
If, during the proposed 30 Day ceasefire Russia sees Trump/US/NATO repeat that history and floods Ukraine with weapons once again, it will not show US Good Faith.
When Biden threatened Russia with Economic WAR in the weeks before February 24, 2022, only because The Kansas City Times was describing and quoting me September 13, 1976, publishing these explicit words,
“He came to town for the Republican National Convention and will stay until the election in November TO DO GOD'S BIDDING: To tell the World, from Kansas City, this country has been found wanting and its days are numbered [...] He gestured toward a gleaming church dome. “The gold dome is the symbol of BABYLON,” he said.” [...] He wanted to bring to the Public’s attention an “idea being put out subtly and deceptively” by the government that we have to get prepared for a War with Russia”
I went to the OSCE website DAILY recording Truce violations between the US appointed anti-Russian Ukraine government and the Russian speaking Ukrainians rejecting the 2014 US/CIA Coup/Regime change of the Democratically Elected Russian friendly Ukraine government.
Truce violations were reaching up to 2000 a Day I saw with my own eyes, and US Anti-Russian propaganda did not highlight that fact.
The US/Ukraine provoked the Russian SMO to stop it.
No one kills more people on mass more than the USA
Though Isreal is not far behind us. Boycott Boeing and the many other engineering firms that take our educated and make killers of them. What a waste of an educated mind.
"American Jesus"!! Yes, indeed! The "Evangelical" crowd does sort of claim a monopoly on the Nazarene, and he always has suspiciously pale skin, eh? Not only is there NO historical proof whatsoever that this chap actually existed, the books of the Gospels having been written long after his supposed lifetime, but the color of such a fellow's skin would be highly debatable as well.
Right!! :-) But I seem to recall he reportedly said he brought a SWORD, not Peace. No mention of an AK-47!! [Reminder to all readers: I have read in my own lifetime every word in that alleged "Good Book," so I write not from an information vacuum.]
What I like to go to is the Churches where its just a Cross after being raised a Catholic that's more heartening-- like where did he go!? JK :/ :o) When I was in the USAF my Flight Chief had a Black Jesus in his home hanging on his wall...
Unfortunate...! We are the U.S. economy that is so entwined now 2025 with our powerful technology, and military contracts that to stop it all would cause economic instability at the very least i.o.w. its never gonna happen unless and until there is a global shift in priorities as in takin it to the streets towards World peace, ending famine & hunger, and slowing the greenhouse effect causing global warming thus resetting the doomsday clock to a more hospitable time to before it strikes midnite. for all the inhabitants of planet Earth..! Then we can shift our priorities to exploring Space both inner and outer for the betterment of our human species.
Reminds me of the refrain from the "Merry Minuet", "For we can be tranquil and thankful and proud, for we've been endowed with the mushroom shaped cloud."
Followed by, "And we can be certain that some lovely day, someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away".
I agree. I remember when this country had an economy that was an actual economy, a manufacturing economy is a real economy and globalization is the destruction of both economy and Democracy as is evident over the last fifty years. greed, not need won out as thousands of manufacturing plants and millions of jobs left the country and hollowed out the sacrifice zones that used to be prosperous and are now rusting hulks with crumbling factories, crumbling people addicted to drugs. Huntington W.V.A. when I lived there in the late 1950s and early 60s was a bustling city with plenty of industry and now it is number one in the country per capita of drug addicted adults and newborn addicts. Why? because all hope of a future for working class people left! The drugs that came in were unheard of before and it is because the illegal drugs that we have been waging war against and loosing, spending hundreds of billions at without any results but the increase of drug use are weighted with penalties far harsher than they should be. If drugs were legal, you couldn't find any! Pot would be grown for personal use and the harder drugs would lose the profit motive so no one would bother to process them due to this fact. heroin and cocaine require processing that would not be done due to the fact that no money would be in it at all, but all this was by design, and this is the dark and disturbing reality that is leading us to the destruction of our nation state and into the arms or tentacles of a one world government where any semblance of freedom, privacy or autonomy will be a thing of the past. Memory has already taken away what has happened in the past. Look up Maj. General Smedley Darlington Butler and see what he stated about war, thank you for your observations, Jack.
Thats funny! I find it strange that Jesus is depicted in the world as a white skinned, fair haired European when he was a Jewish man, speaking to Jewish people who were dark skinned, dark curly haired and not an Anglo in sight. Magic Jesus, white Jesus, armed Jesus, white Jesus! the apologists will say, well if he were here right now, he would agree with us, or if God only knew the facts of the case he would agree! Maybe the Old Testament wrathful, jealous, murderous, genocidal one would but is he not aware of everything already?????????????????????
"I find it strange that Jesus is depicted in the world as a white skinned, fair haired European ..."
Strange? Actually, entirely predictable. Only in recent decades has Barbi become multi-ethnic. Is there a transgender Barbi? I don't get to go to toy stores anymore.
And the total value of arms sales from above doesn't include the secondary market, as weapons 'sold' to one country are subsequently sold to other state or non-state groups.
Pepe Escobar, the Brazilian journalist, estimated that 50-70% of arms shipments to Ukraine do not stay there, but are sold by the Ukrainians into the second and third world. Douglas MacGregor said on Tucker Carlson last night that Javelin missiles are for sale in Mexico.
I fear we are going to find out what our tax dollars bought through direct experience.
As far as I can tell, many Americans don't have any problems with US jobs being linked to weapons production. I would think most people would be outraged that a significant portion of our economy is based on lethal weapon production and export to conflict areas (areas we initiated conflicts in quite often). As long as a good proportion of the public does not find anything wrong with this, then there will be no pressure to end it.
On a thoroughfare near where we moved in in the late '80s, there were many factories where with jobs supporting families. Today, the only one left is a defense contractor.
Don't know if there is cause and effect, but would be glad to trade the defense contractor for all the old jobs.
Glad to see this article today, Bill. Yesterday I was reading that same 43% stat on US weapons sales. We know the US Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex is making a killing off the Ukraine War and the Israeli Genocide in Gaza.
https://rayjc.com/2021/12/13/americas-business-is-war/
https://rayjc.com/2022/04/13/us-politicians-are-sleepwalking-toward-the-nuclear-abyss/
I like your choice of words, "--making a killing--"
The U.S.' main business model: "Making a profit by killing".
With all his character faults, I pray Trump does the right thing and makes Peace with Russia. As he said to Zelensky, the alternative is WWIII.
On the other hand, Russia has every good reason to be skeptical of Trump/US intentions because of Russia's experience with the US promise not to expand NATO beyond the the reunified Germany after the Soviet Union collapse along with the Warsaw Military Pact opposite NATO and the Minsk Accords.
German Chancellor Angela Merkle and French President Hollande both said publicly Ukraine and the US had no intention to implement the provisions that would have given the majority Russian speaking Ukrainians bordering Russia a degree of Independence and Autonomy. Instead it was meant to pacify Russia as Biden/US/NATO armed Ukraine in the WAR the US wanted to weaken Russia.
If, during the proposed 30 Day ceasefire Russia sees Trump/US/NATO repeat that history and floods Ukraine with weapons once again, it will not show US Good Faith.
When Biden threatened Russia with Economic WAR in the weeks before February 24, 2022, only because The Kansas City Times was describing and quoting me September 13, 1976, publishing these explicit words,
“He came to town for the Republican National Convention and will stay until the election in November TO DO GOD'S BIDDING: To tell the World, from Kansas City, this country has been found wanting and its days are numbered [...] He gestured toward a gleaming church dome. “The gold dome is the symbol of BABYLON,” he said.” [...] He wanted to bring to the Public’s attention an “idea being put out subtly and deceptively” by the government that we have to get prepared for a War with Russia”
I went to the OSCE website DAILY recording Truce violations between the US appointed anti-Russian Ukraine government and the Russian speaking Ukrainians rejecting the 2014 US/CIA Coup/Regime change of the Democratically Elected Russian friendly Ukraine government.
Truce violations were reaching up to 2000 a Day I saw with my own eyes, and US Anti-Russian propaganda did not highlight that fact.
The US/Ukraine provoked the Russian SMO to stop it.
Anyone who trusts Trump for anything has his head where it can't see daylight.
Not only is the U.S. #1 in Global Weapons Sales, it also has:
~ The largest “Defense” Budget [ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/largest-defense-budgets-in-the-world/ ]
~ The largest Sovereign National Debt [ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/102-trillion-of-global-debt-in-2024/ ]
~ The largest International Trade Deficit [ https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-worlds-top-10-highest-trade-deficits-by-country/ ]
What does that tell You about the future of this Nation, its Economy, and its system of Government and Governance?
It tells me that this Nation is on a collision course with Reality, and that several Time Bombs are ticking and getting louder.
No one kills more people on mass more than the USA
Though Isreal is not far behind us. Boycott Boeing and the many other engineering firms that take our educated and make killers of them. What a waste of an educated mind.
People
Planet
Peace
dear comrades
"American Jesus"!! Yes, indeed! The "Evangelical" crowd does sort of claim a monopoly on the Nazarene, and he always has suspiciously pale skin, eh? Not only is there NO historical proof whatsoever that this chap actually existed, the books of the Gospels having been written long after his supposed lifetime, but the color of such a fellow's skin would be highly debatable as well.
What's not debatable is that he would have been heavily armed! Because he supported the 2nd amendment!
Right!! :-) But I seem to recall he reportedly said he brought a SWORD, not Peace. No mention of an AK-47!! [Reminder to all readers: I have read in my own lifetime every word in that alleged "Good Book," so I write not from an information vacuum.]
What I like to go to is the Churches where its just a Cross after being raised a Catholic that's more heartening-- like where did he go!? JK :/ :o) When I was in the USAF my Flight Chief had a Black Jesus in his home hanging on his wall...
Unfortunate...! We are the U.S. economy that is so entwined now 2025 with our powerful technology, and military contracts that to stop it all would cause economic instability at the very least i.o.w. its never gonna happen unless and until there is a global shift in priorities as in takin it to the streets towards World peace, ending famine & hunger, and slowing the greenhouse effect causing global warming thus resetting the doomsday clock to a more hospitable time to before it strikes midnite. for all the inhabitants of planet Earth..! Then we can shift our priorities to exploring Space both inner and outer for the betterment of our human species.
It's a sick mindset, indeed, to have a love of violence and war.
You can call the U.S. a christian nation only so long as you acknowledge that the adjective "christian" is total unrelated to the teachings of Christ.
The U.S. is also #1 in regime change.
Reminds me of the refrain from the "Merry Minuet", "For we can be tranquil and thankful and proud, for we've been endowed with the mushroom shaped cloud."
Followed by, "And we can be certain that some lovely day, someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away".
I agree. I remember when this country had an economy that was an actual economy, a manufacturing economy is a real economy and globalization is the destruction of both economy and Democracy as is evident over the last fifty years. greed, not need won out as thousands of manufacturing plants and millions of jobs left the country and hollowed out the sacrifice zones that used to be prosperous and are now rusting hulks with crumbling factories, crumbling people addicted to drugs. Huntington W.V.A. when I lived there in the late 1950s and early 60s was a bustling city with plenty of industry and now it is number one in the country per capita of drug addicted adults and newborn addicts. Why? because all hope of a future for working class people left! The drugs that came in were unheard of before and it is because the illegal drugs that we have been waging war against and loosing, spending hundreds of billions at without any results but the increase of drug use are weighted with penalties far harsher than they should be. If drugs were legal, you couldn't find any! Pot would be grown for personal use and the harder drugs would lose the profit motive so no one would bother to process them due to this fact. heroin and cocaine require processing that would not be done due to the fact that no money would be in it at all, but all this was by design, and this is the dark and disturbing reality that is leading us to the destruction of our nation state and into the arms or tentacles of a one world government where any semblance of freedom, privacy or autonomy will be a thing of the past. Memory has already taken away what has happened in the past. Look up Maj. General Smedley Darlington Butler and see what he stated about war, thank you for your observations, Jack.
Love the armed Jesus pic! I did a related piece . . .
https://johnrachel.substack.com/p/if-jesus-had-been-packing
By the way, I need an Abrams tank for duck hunting season this year. Couldn't find it on Amazon. Anybody out there have any suggestions?
Bahrain, maybe? We just sold them some ...
Thanks. BTW, can I borrow $12 million?
Thats funny! I find it strange that Jesus is depicted in the world as a white skinned, fair haired European when he was a Jewish man, speaking to Jewish people who were dark skinned, dark curly haired and not an Anglo in sight. Magic Jesus, white Jesus, armed Jesus, white Jesus! the apologists will say, well if he were here right now, he would agree with us, or if God only knew the facts of the case he would agree! Maybe the Old Testament wrathful, jealous, murderous, genocidal one would but is he not aware of everything already?????????????????????
"I find it strange that Jesus is depicted in the world as a white skinned, fair haired European ..."
Strange? Actually, entirely predictable. Only in recent decades has Barbi become multi-ethnic. Is there a transgender Barbi? I don't get to go to toy stores anymore.
Your opening paragraph sums it up perfectly. Linking today @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
Worse, most major weapons like F-35 the price does not recoup a fraction of U.S. taxpayer investment, and some technology is given the buyer.
Good for MIC profits.
And the total value of arms sales from above doesn't include the secondary market, as weapons 'sold' to one country are subsequently sold to other state or non-state groups.
Pepe Escobar, the Brazilian journalist, estimated that 50-70% of arms shipments to Ukraine do not stay there, but are sold by the Ukrainians into the second and third world. Douglas MacGregor said on Tucker Carlson last night that Javelin missiles are for sale in Mexico.
I fear we are going to find out what our tax dollars bought through direct experience.