7 | oe a FEATURE Milrtarism U.S.A. The United States is in danger of becoming a modern-day Sparta as milit- ary influence in government, the econ- omy and popular culture expands, says the Centre for Defence Information (CDI) in Washington. CDI is an organ- ization of retired U.S. military officers, diplomats and intelligence analysts. In a thoughtful and penetrating study recently published in The Defence Monitor (Vol. XV, No. 3), CDI charges that the military establishment is exercis- ing growing control over U.S. domestic and foreign policy; that the demands of the war machine increasingly distort ach erat ree a es ie a a mil-i-tarsism / n. 1) a: predominance of | the military class or its ideals. b: exalta- tion of military virtues and ideals. 2) a policy of aggressive military prepared- ness. Webster’ s New Collegiate Dictionary Daa i a nana ce eee mR aerES American economic priorities; that shrill and exaggerated propaganda — intended to justify militarist policies — is warping the U.S. public’s perceptions of the rest of the world, particularly the USSR and the underdeveloped countries; and that the glorification of military values is creating , unhealthy and dangerous consequences in American cultural and intellectual life which raise ‘‘serious concerns for the future of the democratic process in astable, productive society.”’ **It is no longer a question of controll- ing a military-industrial complex,’’ says Jerome B. Wiesner, former adviser to presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, *‘but rather of keeping the United States from becoming a totally military cul- — ture.”” The CDI report develops its analysis of the expanding phenomenon of U.S. ay Fred Weir Backgrounder militarism under a number of headings, only a few of which can be briefly sketched here: e The National Security State: The U.S. has carved up the world into milit- ary regions for purposes of military plan- ning, placing a four-star general or admi- ral in charge of each. ‘‘No other coun- try,’ notes CDI, ‘‘has divided the world up in quite this way.” “The military services, Dept: of De- fence, and the defence industries pre- sently employ some 6.5 million people in the U.S., generating well over $146 bil- lion in business between the Pentagon and private companies each year. “The U.S. now has nearly half a mil- lion military personnel abroad at 333 military installations in 21 different coun- tries.’ The U.S. also has bilateral or multilateral ‘defence’ arrangements with some 50 nations around the world. ‘National security concerns,”’ says CDI, *‘are firmly entrenched and articu- lated in our foreign and domestic poli- cies. Strong emphasis on ‘‘national se- curity’ is used over and over to justify unnecessary growth of the defence estab- lishment.” e The War Permanent Econ- omy: “Preparing for war in peacetime _ has become big business in the U.S.,” observes the report. Currently, ‘‘over 30,000 companies are engaged in military production. Each day military agencies sign 52,000 contracts ... In fiscal year 1985, the U.S. spent over 27 per cent of all federal government expenditures on the military: nearly $1,100 for each American. “Today close to 70 per cent of every federal dollar allotted for Research and Development goes to the military estab- lishment. Since 1981 overall military re- search spending has increased by 62 per cent above inflation, while funding for civilian research has decreased 10 per cents: “Military concerns affect economic priorities nationwide. Hundreds of bil- lions of tax dollars are spent to support the largest peacetime military buildup in American history while social programs are cut, the debt becomes unmanageable ° and the probability of nuclear war in- creases,’’ asserts CDI. e Rising Secrecy and the Power of the Pentagon: The Reagan administration has made unprecedented efforts to re- Strict the free flow of information, stifle academic inquiry, and muzzle the press, charges the CDI report. “In an effort to control espionage and leaks to the press, the Administration is giving the Dept. of Defence the power to ° restrict information to a degree which limits informed public debate on impor- tant military policies and programs. The Pentagon is gaining new authority in mat- ters previously handled by civilian agen- cies, allowing the military to play an increasingly important role in determin- ing foreign and domestic policy.”’ e Rambomania: “America’s increas- ing emphasis on the military as a means Rambo: symbol of a visceral new militarism. - tary solutions so long as their com of maintaining and determining out tion within today’s complex WO" many consequences for Americal int ty. Films like Rambo, Rocky IV, 38 os sion U.S.A., urge the U.S. t0 sort America’s will and establish wot 1, J through force. From Rambo to G. ‘ we are presented with the ide@ Americans have the right to pu are strong and their arsenals fot stocked. Similarly, on the home “at aggressiveness and violence i? § are more easily accepted as 4 0 du ‘means by which to achieve indi goals. ‘af: ‘*As paramilitary weapons, df esl gon, and values are assimilate ; everyday American life, we becote ‘ sensitized to the dangers of emP force as a means of achieving our Instead of viewing the growing 1" of the military with a cautious an¢¢ ip eye, we myopically see it simply 454 of rekindled strength.”’ yall This is a very sketchy and inaded introduction to a document that d&% iy to be widely distributed and Te iy everyone who is concerned a ni spreading cancer of militarism, We gfe rapidly becoming the central fact nl America. Canadians have no fe 10 feel exempt, for it is clear that 19 4 oh meaningful economic, political 4% Got tural ways, we are being dragge® ~ the same road. wg B The -report is entitled Militari ihe America, and can be obtained fro s(t Centre for Defence Informatio? gio" Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washit — DC 20005, USA. pol! Wedge to tour the country gather- Court Judge John White sh ag ip Letters Cultural coverage needed Tom Lalonde, Burnaby, writes: As a frequent reader of the Tribune I must say that I enjoy your paper and its coverage immensely. How- ever, the one thing I have con- tinued to wonder about is the lack of coverage of cultural and social events. Vancouver is a vibrant, active city, and is frequently visited by progressive musicians and per- formers. Why is it that one hardly ever reads interviews with these people? While we certainly need cover- age of labor issues and the like, there is also a need to be involved ' in culture as well. An interview with Pete Seeger or Bruce Cock- burn, for instance, would have been nice. As well, there are a number of young, progressive rock bands both from abroad and in Vancouver who would add a touch of interest to your paper. It would be nice to see the Trib expand cov- 8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, JULY 30, 1986 erage in these areas in order for us to see that many young performers are fighting for our rights through their music as well. There is a major revolution happening in the music industry and musicians everywhere are banding together to speak out on issues that concern us, and there should be some good political comment on the work that they are doing and its meaning to the youth who listen to it. ’ One local band, DOA, has released numerous songs of social protest, and in England bands have banded together into the Red ing support for Britain’s Labor Party. These groups record and perform songs concerning social issues and thereby politicize their * audiences. A movement without culture is a boring movement. If we fail to provide alternatives to the main- stream culture then we will lose our identity. It is interesting to read that a good-sized group attended the Labor Festival, but it would be equally as interesting to read some other coverage of events, concerts, movies, record reviews, and so on. Lavigne case Mike Boychyn, Scarborough, Ont., writes: Ontario Supreme reconsider his decision vil cot” Lavigne case. Canadians ve tinue to say we will defend yp Lavigne’s right to dissent Da dissent does not overrule m4) decision. I pay taxes evel © 1s there are some government of dies and expenditures I 9 agree with. According tO ple!” White’s decision I should be# of withhold some of my tax 1 Unions will survive rest ig dues, Judge White says. Th¢7 ig tion in a country or a unio® coe survival it is harmony. Thé ter of Rights and Freedom 0 have to be re-written if it complement democracy.