In 1961, during his final address to the nation as president, Dwight D. Eisenhower coined the term military industrial complex warning the citizens of the United States of the possible consequences of the rapidly expanding military defense program. He cautioned against the development of a system in which the military, government and defense-contracting companies each have incentives other than our nation’s safety to continue to build up and use America’s armed forces.
However, despite the warnings of this once five-star general and supreme commander of NATO, the military-industrial complex has pervaded our country, our culture and even our university. Many members of Pepperdine University’s Board of Regents, most notably its chairman, have connections to these defense contracting-companies and the number of students who get internships or jobs with them post-graduation is significant.
This corrupt system is so pervasive in our country today, even a university whose mission is to spread God’s love and pursue truth participates in it without question. Defense contractors spread out production across the United States and continually pump out new and improved” products and services at over-estimated prices Congresspersons champion the cause of exorbitant defense spending and cloak it in the name of job creation for their constituents and the military eagerly expands in power influence and budget. Add in recent college graduates out to find a well-paying job and University board members who have made a fortune off of the commerce of war and you get a fresh generation ready and willing to perpetuate the cycle that has become so profitable for those directly involved.
Instead of being complicit in the system and willing to turn a blind eye to corruption for a high-profile University board or a hefty paycheck Pepperdine students should instead carefully examine the effect this process has on our university our nation and our world.
The military-industrial complex creates a world in which it is profitable for the United States to fight wars. When war becomes profitable negotiation and peacemaking become unnecessary. Instead of using diplomacy to find solutions to conflict we have a greater incentive to use our military might. Many have questioned the motives behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the large contracts given to defense companies with ties to the George W. Bush administration. Had it not been such a great investment in our economy would our country have been so quick to send troops into Iraq? Or would we have relied more heavily on diplomacy and collaboration with other nations?
The United States spends more on defense spending than most of the rest of the world combined accounting for nearly 45 percent of global defense spending. Internally defense spending takes money away from programs where it is urgently needed. The 2009 education budget of our country at $63 billion is less than 10 percent of the defense budget which totaled more than $650 billion. With our public education system beginning to lag behind the rest of the developed world our healthcare system in urgent need of reform and many other departments facing serious underfunding this trend becomes disturbing and its morality seems doubtful.
At the university level we must question the impact that this complex has upon our institution. The people in power no doubt influence the mission policies and politics of the university. One should ask whether the connections our leaders possess to these contracting companies manifest themselves in unhealthy ways at our university. With control over the environment in which students ask questions discuss issues and form opinions and beliefs these leaders have a powerful platform from which to produce a new generation that will perpetuate the status quo they have created.
We should not be so naïve. Instead we should rise up as President Eisenhower did and question the rationale and ethics behind the military industrial complex and the system it has created. As Eisenhower stated “Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.” Our generation should question the status quo and be President Eisenhower’s hoped-for citizenry.