Defense Addiction: Can America Kick The Habit? / Edition 1

by Sanford Gottlieb

Overview

Whatever happened to the post–Cold 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 cuts—painting a sobering picture of how this addiction hampers the nation’s ability to deal effectively with a host of domestic and global problems. Gottlieb’s 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813331201
Publisher:	Westview Press
Publication date:	12/31/1996
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1480L (what's this?)

About the Author

Sanford Gottlieb has thirty-four years of experience in military-related activities. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and later served as executive director for the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy(SANE), New Directions, and United Campuses to Prevent Nuclear War. For seven years, he was senior producer of America's Defense Monitor, a weekly television program of the Center for Defense Information. He has written and spoken widely on defense and foreign policy issues.

Table of Contents

"Introduction — General Dynamics Digs In — Defense Mergers — Arms Sales Abroad — Selling to Civilian Government 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"