Tyler Durden / ZeroHedge & Ron Paul / The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity & BitOfNews.com – 2017-09-21 17:28:15
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-01/ron-paul-warns-we-are-last-stages-welfare-warfare-state
The Corporate Beneficiaries of the Warfare-Welfare State
Tyler Durden / Zero Hedge & Ron Paul / The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity
(May 1, 2017) — “Congress ended the week by passing a continuing resolution keeping the government funded for one more week. This stopgap funding bill was designed to give Congress and the White House more time to negotiate a long-term spending bill.
Passage of a long-term spending bill had been delayed over objections to Republican efforts to preserve Obamcare’s key features but give states a limited ability to opt out of some Obamacare mandates . . .” — Former Sen. Ron Paul.
This type of brinkmanship has become standard operating procedure on Capitol Hill. The drama inevitably ends with a spending bill being crafted behind closed doors by small groups of members and staffers and then rushed to the floor and voted on before most members have a chance to read it.
These “omnibus” spending bills are a dereliction of one of Congress’s two most important duties — allocating spending. Of course, Congress long ago abandoned another primary duty — preventing presidents from launching military attacks without first obtaining a congressional declaration of war.
The uncomfortable question raised by Congress’s abrogation of these two key functions is whether a republican form of government is compatible with a welfare-warfare state. The answer seems to be “no.”
Congress’s dysfunctional spending process is an inevitable result of the government’s growth. It is simply unrealistic to expect Congress to fund the modern leviathan via a lengthy and open process that allows individual members to have some say in how government spends their constituents’ money.
The dysfunctional spending process benefits the many politicians eager to avoid accountability for government spending. The rushed process allows these politicians to say they had to vote for the spending bills.
Often, these big spending bills include a promise to cut spending in the future. Like tomorrow, the promised spending cuts are always a day away.
If government continues to expand, the economy will continue to stagnate, social tensions and violence will increase, and more power will be concentrated in the hands of the president, bureaucrats, and a select few members of Congress.
The only way to avoid this is for Congress to shut down most of the federal government, starting with bringing the troops home and drastically cutting the military-industrial complex’s budget.
Congress must also close all unconstitutional federal agencies and programs, and wind down federal entitlement programs. A good place to start is the Department of Education. The Federal Reserve must be audited and then ended.
The root of the current crisis is neither political nor economic but philosophical. Too many have bought into the lie that government can protect us from life’s misfortunes and stamp out evil around the world without endangering our liberty, our safety, and our prosperity. Convincing a critical mass of people to reject big government is key to our success.
The breakdown of the congressional appropriations process, combined with hyper-interventionism via the Federal Reserve and foreign policy, suggest we are in the last stages of the welfare-warfare state.
Whether this system’s inevitable collapse completes our descent into authoritarianism or leads to a restoration of limited, constitutional government and free markets depends on how effective those of us who know the truth are in spreading the ideas of liberty.
The 9 Most Powerful Weapons Manufacturers In The World
Xiao Xu / BitofNews
(May 13, 2015) — The arms industry is one of the most profitable and powerful industries in the world.
According to data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the private weapons industry is worth $400 billion world wide. This doesn’t even include China’s state-owned weapons manufacturing plants.
This industry is unlike any others, because what they manufacture can claim thousands of lives.
In a recent speech by the Pope at the Vatican, the Holy See denounced the leaders of the industry of being greedy tyrants, profiting from other people’s deaths:
“This is why some people don’t want peace: they make more money from war, although wars make money but lose lives, health, education. The devil enters through our wallets.”
We compiled data from the world’s most profitable weapon manufacturing companies (2013) and listed them out in reverse order:
9. Finmeccanica (Italy)
Annual weapons sales:
$10.56 billion
Finmeccanica is an Italian “aerospace, defense and transportation company.” It’s one of the few non-US companies that made the top list. According to a series of emails leaked by WikiLeaks, Finmeccanica supplied mobile communications equipments to the Syrian government during the 2011 uprising. It’s annual weapons sale topped $10.56 billion.
8. United Technologies Corporation (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$11.9 billion
The United Technologies Corporation (commonly referred to as UTC) is located in Hartford, Connecticut and specializes in missile systems and military helicopters. It’s most well-known product is the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. It’s annual sales in 2013 topped $11.9 billion. According to a study by University of Massachusetts Amherst, UTC is the 38th largest corporate polluter in the US.
7. Airbus Group (European Union)
Annual weapons sales:
$15.74 billion
The Airbus Group is a pan-European group that was formerly known as the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and was reorganized in 2013. It is the world’s largest supplier of helicopters, but also manufactures transport and mission aircraft. The company has been under controversy because it manufacturers cluster bombs and related components.
6. General Dynamics (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$18.66 billion
General dynamics produces the Western world’s most-popular jet fighter: the F-16 Fighting Falcon. It is located in Fairfax County, Virginia and employs 92,200 people. In 2008, General Dynamics was ordered to pay a $4 million fine for fraudulently billing the US Government for defective parts used in US military aircraft and submarines.
5. Northrop Grumman (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$20.2 billion
Northrop Grumman is an American defense technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California and employs 68,000 people worldwide. It produces surveillance and electronic warfare equipments. It also manufactures the dreaded B-2 Spirit strategic bomber. In 1999, the company was ordered to pay $325 million for knowingly selling the Navy defective aircrafts.
4. Raytheon (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$21.95 billion
Raytheon is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the world’s largest producer of guided missiles, including the popular Patriots Missiles. It was founded in 1922 by Vannevar Bush, who played a crucial role in convincing the US government in developing the atomic weapons. In October 2014, Raytheon won a $1 billion contract to produce long-ranged radar for the US Air Force.
3. BAE Systems (UK)
Annual weapons sales:
$26.82 billion
BAE Systems is the only British company that topped the list. It’s headquartered in London and was created in 1999 as a mega-merger of two defense companies: Marconi Electronic Systems (MES) and British Aerospace (BAe). It manufactures the M777 howitzer, an ultra-lightweight field artillery.
2. Boeing (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$30.70 billion
In addition to producing commercial airliners, Boeing gets 45% of its income from producing military jets and weapons. It produces various lines of unmanned striker drones and attack aircrafts. In 2013, its weapons sales topped $30.7 billion.
1. Lockheed Martin (USA)
Annual weapons sales:
$35.49 billion
The world’s most powerful weapons manufacturer goes to Lockheed Martin. It receives 74% of its revenue from producing military equipment. It created the famed F-22 Raptor fighter jet, one of the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jets available.
In 1998, Lockheed Martin attempted an $8.3 billion takeover of Northrup Grumman (#5 on this list), but had to abandon the plan due to government concern over monopoly power. In 2013, the company made a whopping $35.49 billion from weapons sales.
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