The number of Pentagon contractors in Afghanistan will likely grow to 160,000 as the number of U.S. soldiers reaches 100,000, the highest ratio of private military contractors to soldiers in U.S history. The Afghanistan war has been called the first U.S. contractor war; and it heralds a future in which waging war no longer requires citizens for soldiers, only money for mercenaries. According to a federal audit of Pentagon contractors in Afghanistan, 16% of monies paid to contractors has been for "questioned and unsupported costs." No matter the war's outcome, the defense industry and mercenary contractors win -- with windfall profits.
How is it that Congress wrangled for nearly a year over the cost of universal health care and then passed the largest defense budget in the history of the world ($636 billion) in late December '09 with nary a whimper nor headline? (2)
Does the war economy affect the domestic economy?
U.S. unemployment reached 10% at the end of December 2009 and is projected to rise in 2010. When we include the underemployed, and those who have given up looking for a job, the rate climbs to 17.3% at a time when states are suffering lower tax revenues and making large cuts in local human, social, educational and cultural services.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
