What is the Military Industrial Complex?

In layman terms, the military industrial complex is comprised of the companies and individuals who are responsible for developing the weapons and strategies to fight and, supposedly, win wars.

Of course, some would argue that winning a war goes against the business plans of these companies. No war, less need for the weapons necessary to fight them. No war, less opportunity for the generals and other senior officers at the top of the military totem pole to get promoted. No war and less chance to write a book on what a great job they did, while they hid safely in their bunkers and their soldiers died doing the fighting.

I can recall watching the national evening news in the mid 1970s and having one of the anchors (not sure which channel or anchor) explain that the Vietnam war went on so long because so many profited from that conflict.

We forgot that lesson from Vietnam. History repeated itself and we paid the price with more than 2,000 soldiers dead in Afghanistan, including 13 US Marines killed during the evacuation. We forgot that some people wrap themselves around the flag, preach patriotism and the American way, and then cash in as other people die.

The conflict in Afghanistan cost the United States about $975 billion over 20 years. Much of that money went into building and buying a lot of tanks, planes, ammunition and missiles. It went to companies that supplied that war effort in a number of other ways. And, I bet, it dramatically added to the financial ledger of these companies.

As I keep saying, we had no business sending ground troops into Afghanistan in the first place, especially as we tied their hands to do the job correctly.

So don't blame the recent disaster just on Joe Biden. Sure, he messed up. He listened to his generals and they gave him bad intel. But also put blame on George W. Bush for getting us there in the first place. And, throw in a little blame on Barack Obama and Donald Trump for keeping us there. They were all part of the process.

Most importantly, take a look at who benefits the most from war in this country. Take a look at the companies that manufacture the weapons and provide the security and non-military manpower.

I always find it funny how patriotic they are, helping to send other people's kids to war. They have been playing us for a fool for a long time.

Now let's get our people out of that miserable place quickly and safely and pledge not to repeat past mistakes.

Just my angle.