Defense Addiction Can America Kick The Habit [Paperback]

Whatever happened to the postCold War peace dividend? Why does military spending continue to escape federal budget reductions? Why, despite the nearly universal desire to reduce government waste and budget deficits, is the United States still saddled with a costly, bloated military-industrial complex? The answer, says Sanford Gottlieb, is the debilitating dependence of a key sector of the American economy on defense jobs and profits. Defense Addiction is based on hundreds of interviews with defense contractors, union representatives, members of Congress, state and federal officials, lobbyists, economic development professionals, and local activists. Gottlieb explains how these groups and individuals cope with defense dependence, competition for federal funds, and budget and job cutspainting a sobering picture of how this addiction hampers the nations ability to deal effectively with a host of domestic and global problems. Gottliebs engaging and jargon-free volume points to civilian public investments, reduced military spending, strengthened international peacekeeping, and other measures that could help our country kick the defense habit. His book also provides guidance to companies and communities struggling to break free in the face of inadequate government policies. Introduction -- General Dynamics Digs In -- Defense Mergers -- Arms Sales Abroad -- Selling to CivilianGovernment Agencies -- Trying to Enter Commercial Markets -- Flexibility: Key to Smaller Defense Firms Survival -- The Weapons Labs: Can Bomb Designers Help Industry? -- Local Activists Pitch In -- State Governments Take Action -- Pink Slips for Defense Workers -- Congress, Pork, and Defense Jobs -- The Clinton Administration and Dual Use -- The Bigger Picture -- Conclusion