CGTN America
In 1961, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower warned about the dangers of a military-industrial complex – a massive military establishment and arms industry.
More than 50 years later, the United States seems to be in a state of perpetual war.
From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the fight against ISIL in Syria and Yemen, The United States armed forces continue to engage in conflicts around the world.
In fact, the U.S spends more on its military than the next top eight countries combined, including China.
According to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the U.S. spent 618-billion on its military in 2013, including $6.2 billion in total arms exports.
Today the military-industrial complex is an integral part of the U.S. economy.
CCTV’s Jim Spellman provided an update.
To discuss military spending, CCTV spoke to these experts:
- Karen Kwiatkowski is a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Air Force, and worked at the Pentagon and the U.S. National Security Agency.
- Peter Van Buren in New York served as a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department and is a well-known author and commentator.
- Former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Marc Ginsberg is a senior U.S. diplomat who traveled to Iraq to assess the insurgency and the pace of reconstruction.
Historians say President Eisenhower’s speech in 1961 about the military-industrial complex was prophetic.
The United States spends more on its military than any other country and ranks number one in global arms exports.
The Heat continued the discussion on how the threat of terrorism has fueled an even larger military-industrial complex.
