Section one follows the thought-provoking introduction. This section introduces, definitively expounds, and presents at length various aspects of the national defense based military-industrial-complex and its extensive acts of deviance.
The results of World War II initiated widespread causes and effects. World War II caused several desperate conditions worldwide where, in effect, many nations including most of Western Europe looked to the United States for solutions and aid to their security and economy. This created several initiatives and opportunities for the United States as the nation benefiting in many ways from World War II that strengthened its world leadership, which inspired and motivated U.S. hegemony. In addition, the post WWII advent of the Soviet Union and China as two distinctly individual communist world powers created much elevated and immediate concerns of communist expansion and of Western security, which, in effect, initiated the nuclear arms race. These factors spurred the organizational development of a “huge permanent [United States] military establishment” (166) ultimately giving shape to the recognized military-industrial-complex: the triangle of the military, U.S. corporations, and politicians whose constituents are those economically dependent on expansive military bases and corporations with extensive defense contracts. The author further breaks down the military-industrial-complex revealing its separate components; given the acronym MITLAMP, it clearly shows the extensive interrelationship that forms a “community of interests” (167).
In the second section, with a focused emphasis on defense contractors, the author describes and lists several illegal and unethical practices by these multinational corporations in the U.S. weapons industry; the same corporations “whose overseas holdings are protected by the military-counterinsurgency umbrella provided by the United State’s worldwide military establishment” (168), which is astonishing considering that a common practice is the “deliberate and willful misrepresentation” (173) of test data for critical components used in such equipments as fighter aircraft. As a blatant form of fraud, selling (potentially dangerous) defective equipment is done in order to close the deal on a project and receive payment. Other offenses include several forms of fraud, bribery, price gouging, and kickbacks. Because of the above practices as well as irresponsible national defense policies, many Americans suffer due to primarily the effects on the nation’s domestic economy. Additionally, this increasingly fosters a negative impression of America that creates for a negative business environment for even the most legitimate American businessman. Further, U.S. policies include deliberately deceiving the American public in order to maintain an anxious belief of threats from enemies, real or, most commonly, fictitious; this allows the popular public opinion to be favorable toward an exorbitant national defense budget.
The text opens its next section addressing corrupt practices of multinational corporations outside direct U.S. military relationships. This includes illegal payments and bribes to third world countries for the purposes of winning state contracts and winning political influence in that country. Another terrible practice, though currently legal, is the exportation of hazardous products including hazardous waste. The bottom line for a third world country is the money it gets for receiving another countries toxic waste; this is commonly without regarding the public and environmental dangers – a clear example of human rights disregard and abuse. Additionally, the author states a purported suggestion, “that deliberate racist and genocidal policies are being practiced” (194) by the delivery of toxic wastes to certain populations in the third world.
The third and final section addresses the impact of the above practices on human rights and its monstrous effects. Even though the United States advertises an image as the torchbearer of human rights, the author includes several documented accounts of various U.S. undertakings worldwide that created situations of extreme human rights violations and abuses. A common situation created and supported by the U.S. is the case where a brutal military dictator is helped in deposing the elected government, assassinating its leader, and takes power doing away with democratic measures. This U.S. supported regime reigns instituting “brutally repressive measures, including arbitrary imprisonment, torture, death squads, and kidnapping” (195). Blatantly, the preceding is a description of extreme violation of human rights. Furthermore, the torture inflicted by these regimes that are dependent on U.S. lead multinational corporations is to discourage people from linking with each other politically and socially; its purpose is to prevent a political process and the formation of relationships among people.
Part III – Contemplative Evaluation
At the time of the first Gulf War, I was living in Portland, Oregon and working from my home as I had been for most of my working career at this point as an accomplished and successful Field Engineer (FE) for a company called Raytheon (Marine Company). Working for Raytheon, I was involved with High-Seas commercial marine electronics and not part of the government programs that involved the manufacture of weapons systems. However, I was, at the time, prideful of the fact that my employer, Raytheon, manufactured many of the weapons that successfully performed in that war, including the Patriot missile – the “scud buster.” As I read this text, I was reminded of my pride and enthusiasm, both as an employee of Raytheon and as an American, whose country is liberating Kuwait from the evil clutches of Saddam Hussein. Back then, people said that I was “pretty smart.” For a smart person, there was a lot that I did not know.
In reading this text, I feel that I am able to recognizably understand that the world’s state-of-affairs following World War II had imposed a broadening of horizons for the United States in many ways that ushered in a new era; thus, the evolution of U.S. foreign policy and the military-industrial-complex and its extenuating causes and effects where the elements of this provided for overwhelming financial opportunity. So much so that, seemingly among reputable, honorable institutions including the United States government, corruption is rampant and violation to human rights abroad is extreme. I also more clearly understand how this conduct of “deviance” is well “masked” to appear legitimate and necessary. After reading, I felt enlightened.
In carefully reading the text, I felt that the author presented an empirical examination with an effort toward eliminating bias. The well-organized writing provided for a clear understanding of the author’s purposes; primarily that of making sense of a deceptively complex structure where corruption is regular practice and human rights violations are par the course among seemingly honorable institutions.
Illuminating to me was the explanation of the origins that established the formation of the military-industrial-complex. Further, this formal text allowed me to develop a clear understanding of the “community of interests” involving the several components of the overall defense industry in the United States and how it works together. From past experience, I readily comprehended what the author was relaying.
Early in my career with Raytheon, I was involved with “government programs” for a brief spell as I worked with the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet certifying Raytheon integrated radar systems. It was my job to “sign-off” a system newly installed (by a Navy contractor). This brought me in contact with every facet of the MITLAMP (military-industrial-technological-labor-academic-managerial-political) complex. From my position in the industrial segment, I was regularly frustrated with Navy and Navy bureaucratic inefficiency, the unconscious waste, and sub-contractor/labor delays and cost over-runs. Additionally, a cost over-run, or “change order,” to the government was never a concern. This was frustrating in that it was a factor regarding quality and efficiency – this “mentality” was nauseating. It was supposedly an esteemed privilege to work as a naval systems certifier for Raytheon as opposed to a commercial systems FE. Due to my frustrations, it was not long before I insisted that I return to the commercial business that far outclassed government programs. Even so, beyond an awareness regarding irresponsible practices of the Navy and its supporting entities, I did not know the extent of unethical, illegal, and downright corrupt conduct until some time later.
This text was vastly illuminating to me in a way that it filled in gaps in my porous memory and of the disconnected bits of knowledge that I have about this subject. Like many people, I have formed opinions and draw knowledge from various media including mainstream movies, television news, and recently, news and articles from the internet. However, I have also been discriminating regarding all that I read and hear. In recent years, I have been increasingly interested in world affairs, the U.S. government’s conduct domestically and abroad, and institutions that affect my life, which could be all multinational corporations. Especially with so much media at hand, it seems increasingly difficult to know what is real and what is not; what is truth and what isn’t . . . what to believe.
In reading the text, I was able to connect the bits of knowledge remaining in my memory in a way that I could organize the collected information I have into a sensible construction that is not something that I am rationalizing or forming into a convenient reality. The author has allowed me to accept or reject the facts that he has organized as they relate in scope. In this manner, I do not see how someone could reasonably reject these facts. I have attained by reading this text a more cohesive understanding and awareness of the “deviance” of the United States government and multinational corporations, namely defense contractors. It is evident that the author invested an immense amount of energy and effort toward research as well as thoughtfully organizing pertinent cases without an effort to prejudice the reader.
The text is a report of the facts. What I have learned are disturbing details of rampant impropriety of highly respected institutions of the defense and corporate community, some of which are considered as regular business practices. In reading, I have been enlightened about practices such as “buying in,” “pyramid profits,” “goldplating,” and “concurrency.” Particularly illuminating were the descriptions of the various methods of fraud involving the named companies listed, including Raytheon. It was interesting to read about the “consequences” of these widespread practices as this has a direct impact on me personally as an American citizen living in America. It should bother any American that tax-payer money is corruptly spent by our elected officials who we have entrusted, and that this trust is abused and taken advantage of by deliberately deceiving the American public with fabricated rhetoric of fictitious enemies, the threat of eminent attack, and U.S. military deficiency. I understand that this ongoing practice of U.S. government officials is a scheme to form a favorable and accepting public opinion that would allow the extent of defense spending that supports the military-industrial-complex. This reading has further confirmed my understanding of the United State’s true position regarding human rights. Included with the case of the U.S. involvement in Chile are several similar cases of U.S. “intervention” in Third World countries, which reveal what encompasses a common policy to achieve the ends of the corporate world’s means courtesy of the United States of America, the U.S. military, and the United States government’s mafia-style tactics.
Part IV – Conclusion
I truly felt fortunate to have this assignment. The author states in his conclusion, “nothing less than the future well-being of the United States and much of the world is at stake, in part because of such deviance” (206). I agree. I suggest that a course be offered that focuses strictly on the aspect of “deviance” that would include related case studies in order to clearly understand and realize U.S. third world policies and its “pattern” of operation, which is quite contrary to its publicly expressed motives. As part of the curriculum, it would be interesting to conduct interviews to hear explanations from the various people of institutions who have committed “unethical” acts. I highly recommend that all taking any political science course be given a similar assignment regarding the text, National Defense, Multinational Corporations, and Human Rights.
