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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!ukma!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: ARMS, POLITICS, & THE ECONOMY
- Message-ID: <1992Aug27.082316.4191@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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- Organization: PACH
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- Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 08:23:16 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 90
-
- POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES
- A Publication of the CENTER FOR ECONOMIC CONVERSION
-
- Published quarterly. Materials in POSITIVE ALTERNATIVES may be
- reprinted if this publication and the CENTER for ECONOMIC CONVERSION are
- credited and a copy is sent to CEC.
-
- ** Written 4:46 pm Aug 10, 1992 by dwalt in cdp:econconversion **
- ARMS, POLITICS, & THE ECONOMY:
- HISTORICAL & CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES
- edited by Robert Higgs
- Holmes & Meier, New York, 1990.
- 295 pages
- reviewed by Jay Siegel
-
- It is often instructive to read the historical analyses written by "the
- other side." Most of the perspectives presented in this book are from a
- conservative viewpoint but there are, nevertheless, topics of interest to
- conversion advocates.
-
- The chapter topics ranged from "Department of Defense Attempts to Close
- Military Bases - The Political Economy of Congressional Resistance" to
- "Baruch, the New Deal and the Origins of the Military-Industrial Complex."
-
- The chapter on the origins of the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) alone
- makes the book a good read. In it, the author, Jordan A. Schwart, presents
- a cogent argument claiming that the roots of the MIC go back to the First
- World War when the U.S. became a world power internationally but
- remained a underdeveloped country regionally, especially in the South and
- West. Schwarz contends that the MIC was originally intended as an
- unofficial national industrialization policy to develop the South and West.
- For example, the War Industries Board, created during the World War I,
- demonstrated how central planning attained strong economic growth,
- especially when coupled with funding from of the Federal Reserve system
- (1913) and general income taxation (constitutional amendment ratified in
- 1913).
-
- Schwarz further argues that during the Great Depression, the central
- planning experience gained in the War Industries Board was transferred to
- the 30's New Deal programs, especially the Tennessee Valley Authority
- projects developing energy and infrastructure in the South and West.
-
- At first blush it seemed as if Schwarz is blaming Roosevelt and New Deal
- Democrats for the MIC. However, he points out that during this period the
- Democrats were fiscally responsibile, as they financed social and
- military spending through federal taxes and bonds. This was done on a
- pay-as-you-go basis.
-
- After World War II, the MIC was institutionalized by the Cold War and
- eventually grew to be the third largest planned economy in the world. By
- then, it had lost its pre-World War II roots of economic development,
- social concern, and fiscal responsibility.
-
- For the past fifty years, the MIC has been our only source of industrial and
- economic planning and the major source of federal or socialized
- investment. More importantly, there was a shift in political support for
- the MIC from the Democratic Party based in the North and South to the
- Republican Party in the new West and Sunbelt. The Republicans, who
- politically attack Democrats as taxers and spenders, are the military
- spenders. Ironically, it was the Reagan administration's tax cut and
- willingness to incur large deficits that broke the link between the
- unofficial industrial policy of economic development through military
- spending and fiscal responsibility.
-
- No wonder in this election year we face presidential candidates without
- any industrial policy, nor the fiscal means to carry one out if elected. This
- book provides valuable information in helping us understand the roots of
- this problem.
- JAY SIEGEL is on the Board of Directors for CEC
-
- ** End of text from cdp:econconversion **
-
- ******************************************************************
- THE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC CONVERSION
- 222 View St., Suite C, Mountain View CA 94041
- Tel: (415) 968-8798 FAX: (415) 968-1126
- Email: bdelson@igc.org
- The CENTER for ECONOMIC CONVERSION is a non-profit public benefit
- corporation dedicated to building a sustainable peace-oriented economy.
- Founded in 1975, the organization serves as a national resource center and
- a catalyst for conversion planning. CEC provides educational materials;
- speakers; organizing assistance to conversion activists; technical
- assistance to workers, managers and public officials confronting military
- cutbacks; and research on conversion issues.
-
- Beth Delson, Editor; Michael Closson, Executive Director; Joan Holtzman,
- Development Coordinator; Marie Jones, Conversion Planner; Susan Strong,
- Senior Research Associate; Rosemary Wick, Office Manager.
- ******************************************************************
-
-