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CounterPunch
January
20, 2003
The Pentagon Connection
by RALPH NADER
I wonder how Seymour Melman feels these days.
For over half a century, this Columbia University industrial
engineering professor (now emeritus) has been researching, writing
and speaking about the massive overspending on the military portion
of the federal budget and how this waste is de-industrializing
America, costing millions of jobs and starving the investment
in public works -- repairing the crucial physical capital of
America.
Recently, he prepared a memorandum called
"The Pentagon Connection" where he recounted the massive
redundancy and costliness of various weapons systems -- such
as the next wave of fighter planes, missiles, submarines and
aircraft carriers -- and the opportunity cost so adverse to the
domestic needs of our country. Remember, the U.S. no longer has
a major opponent that used to justify huge military budgets.
Both Russia and China are converting quickly to the state capitalistic-oligarchic
model and the Soviet Union is no more.
First, Professor Melman cites the Report Card for America's
Infrastructure that was issued by the American Society of
Civil Engineers. One and a third trillion dollars are estimated
for the repair of twelve categories of public works, including
schools, drinking water systems, sewage systems, airports, public
transit, bridges and roads.
The Engineering society found what any
person who observes -- great needs coming from great disrepair
and decay. Adding $618 billion for repair of U.S. housing and
railroads brings the capital improvement needs to a $2.0 trillion
market, he notes.
Mr. Melman, whose knowledge of U.S. industry
is legendary, adds:"Every manufacturing industry whose products
are required for repairing and modernizing America's infrastructure
is left out by the federal government's military plans."
And expenditures.
The military economy drains the civilian
economy and this trend has been accelerating into what Melman
called a "huge change" in the American economy. He
writes: "This deindustrialization has happened so quickly
that America's capacity to produce anything is seriously undermined.
For example, last year the New York City government announced
its plans to buy a new fleet of subway cars. Though this contract
is worth $3-4 billion, not one U.S. firm responded. Of 100 products
offered in this fall's L.L. Bean catalogue, 92 are imported and
only 8 are made in the U.S.A."
"Closing U.S. factories has not
only left millions without work, but has also diminished the
U.S. production capability required for repairing our broken
infrastructure," Melman says. Melman doesn't mention it
in his memo, but previous studies have demonstrated that a million
dollars in civilian investment creates more jobs than a million
dollars in military weapons systems.
The states and cities are reporting deeper
deficits. This year, the states will be over $60 billion in the
red. Taxes and tolls are going up. Necessities are being cut
-- outlays, Melman points out, for schools, libraries, fire and
police departments, sanitation department, child welfare, health
care and services for elderly people. But there are hundreds
of billions for Soviet-era type weapons driven by the weapons
corporations and their campaign cash for key members of Congress
who decide the distortions of your tax dollars.
Recently, Bob Herbert, a columnist for
the New York Times, interviewed the well-known financier, Felix
Rohatyn, who was involved in the response to the City's fiscal
crisis in the 1970s. The current fiscal crisis ofthe states and
cities is, to Mr. Rohatyn, very serious.
Mr. Rohatyn told Mr. Herbert that he
believes that a $75 billion-a-year program of federal assistance
to state and local governments combined with a $75-billion-a-year
tax cut for working people would provide a substantial boost
to the economy, and over time would result in the creation of
several million jobs.
But, in spite of polls (as well opinions
expressed by military experts, like retired General Anthony Zinni)
showing that a large majority of the American people do not believe
that President Bush has made the case that Iraq threatens the
U.S. nor do they want him to commit our troops unilaterally,
the White House chief is willing to spend at least $150 billion
and incur casualties pursuing this obsession while ignoring life-saving
needs in our country.
For a copy of the entire Melman memorandum,
send a self-addressed, large stamped envelope to Professor Seymour
Melman, Department of Industrial Engineering, Columbia University,
500 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027.
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