A deadly monster: Part 1. An overview of the military-national security, industrial, political triumvirate

                              Peace through strength?
                     Only if you believe in scary fairy tales
                   Security through domestic surveillance?  
                    Only if you believe in scary fairy tales
                        This insatiable, deadly monster

                                 is not a fairy tale

This writer, an organizational psychologist turned political psychologist in retirement is addicted to writing about and writhing over the imperialistic, militaristic, failing state of America, and that being the case, is now embarking on a long journalistic journey of writing more about her corpocracy, the Devil's marriage between large corporations and "our" government. This article, part of a trilogy, gives an overview of America's military-national security, industrial, political triumvirate, the most costly, destructive, and deadly member of the corpocracy. This article begins that journey. The second and third parts, yet to be written, examine the state of this triumvirate's opposition and propose creation of a "peace triumvirate" to wage a peaceful and lawful campaign of reforms to topple the monster.

                                                       
From the very beginning America has been militarily strong and active. Today, that strength is the greatest of all nations' military combined and has been for a long rime. Today, America has the largest national security program of any nation, making Russia's vaunted KGB small by comparison. More Americans are now watched around the clock than ever before. 

The price tag for all this strength and surveillance is huge. We are talking trillions of dollars, eight of them since "9/11;" one of those eight just for FY 2013. Overall, the U.S. military-national security expenses amount to one-half of all worldwide expenditures and one-half of the federal government's discretionary budget. Note the adjective, "discretionary." The government with industry prodding chooses to do and spend what it does.

What does all that might and money get America?

Does America get peace?

America has never gotten peace through all her military strength. Over 300 (and counting) military interventions around the globe have been conducted by the U.S. for profit and power since our nation was founded. From the outset, military strength has always slammed the door shut on peace.

Does America get national security?

While America had some domestic surveillance before "9/11," with so much more money, so many more domestic spies, so much more spying since then, America today resembles a police state. But the threat of terror, real or imagined, from enemies created by the triumvirate still exists.

Who does benefit?

It is the corpocracy, and particularly this triumvirate, not the American people that benefit. The military, the federal domestic security agencies, the military-national security industry, and politicians all the way up to the top, the warrior-in-chief are the sole beneficiaries, hands down.    

Who doesn't benefit?

For starters, there are several million human beings (and counting) sent to their graves as a direct result of those 300 some military interventions. Then, there are Americans' civil liberties. Then, there are America's goodwill and moral standing in the world. Then there's America's moral fiber at home. Then, to use a fancy phrase there are the lost opportunities at home. Imagine what America could be today if much of that eight trillion dollars had been spent instead to help ensure that every American has an adequate standard of living that is the right of every human being in a civilized society; to help develop her youth, the future of America; to provide affordable and quality health care to everyone; and to help preserve the balance between human activities and nature. Clearly, in both the short and long term, America suffers because of the corpocracy's military-national security, industrial, political triumvirate.

The military-national security part of the triumvirate

The visible elements

Military arm of the Department of Defense: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Over two million active duty and reserve.

Civilian arm of the Department of Defense, National Security Agency, CIA. 
Department of Homeland Security. The latter, the newest, has grown exponentially to become the third largest federal bureaucracy after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. More than 200,000 employees in this part of the government.

Department of Energy (National Nuclear Safety Administration). Approximately 3,000 federal employees and 30,000 contract employees.

The "black hole" elements

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The industrial part of the triumvirate

                                 
Thousands of organizations and individuals, from the largest military contractors (corporations) to the smallest entrepreneurs make and sell products and services to the military-national security part of the triumvirate, to each other (e.g., smaller business suppliers to larger business suppliers), and to foreign nations. Some makers and sellers do business in other industrial sectors as well. The Lockheed Martin Corporation is a perfect example.

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