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Military Complex

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Military Complex
Kelvin Hugley
Dr. Tanya Sharpe
SOC 300
June 5, 2013

Military Industrial Complex is a phrase used to signify the relationship between government forces and defense-minded organizations. This union can produce benefits for both war planners receiving the tools necessary for waging an effective war while furthering political interest abroad while defense contractors are the recipients of lucrative deals.("What is military,") The term Military Industrial Complex was coined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address in 1961. Great and sustained spending for defense and war he warned created powerful groups that could disastrously harm the nations future.(Turse, 03) Causing harm is exactly what they did. Third World countries would receive the assistance of developed countries with the financing of its wars and in return would have to grant certain privileges to the countries that aided them. Oftentimes giving over control of rich soil, marine ports and even governments. After many years these countries would have to negotiate for the rights of their own land. For example, the United States was able to gain control over the Philippine Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico after the Spanish-American war. America then placed military bases the aforementioned countries. Developing countries are the main recipients of the arms sales. Developing nations continue to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by weapons suppliers. In spite of our global economic climate major purchases are continuously being made by a select few developing nations, for example, India in Asia, and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia and quietly funneled them to antigovernment fighters in Syria in a drive to break the bloody stalemate that has allowed President Bashar al-Assad to cling to power. Saudi Arabia also wanted to oust Syria’s president because of his relation with Iran. However, for arms suppliers, despite the impact the global economic situation has had recently on sales, a number of weapons-exporting nations have increased competition for sales, going into areas and regions they may not have previously been prominent. Competition between sellers will only intensify due to the limits for growth. Many Middle East countries purchase arms from the US which became the prime supplier to the region after the 1991 Persian Gulf crisis.

References

What is military industrialized complex. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.militaryindustrialcomplex.com/what-is-the-military-industrial-complex.asp

Turse, N. (03, October 17). Bringing the war home: The new military-industrial-entertainment complex at war and play. Retrieved from http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1017-09.htm

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