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[ Backstory: Wealth trumps Health ] Why SS/Medicare must be cut, and Military spending left untouched The number employed by America's War Industry has risen to a staggering proportion of good paying jobs in America, especially when including thousands of Congressional and Pentagon Military Lobbyists. Estimates vary but are commonly put at ±50% of the American Work Force is busy feeding the Military Beast that eats only tax money. When the 2o12 Election teetered between Obama and Romney toward the end, the Money Powers That Be let it be known through their subversive channels that Obama must be elected to guarantee no cuts in any Military Budget for the next four years. This started back when there was talk that Congress was looking to reduce the deficit by cutting back on funding for the Military. Irony of ironies, it was BushObama Wars of Aggression and Drone Military Spending which had caused the deficit to sky rocket in the first place. http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/07/09/512943/military-contractors-boost-lobbying-expenditures-in-2012/ In no uncertain terms, the word went out that if Military Funding was cut, they would collapse the Global Economy again, as payback. By firing employees at Military Contractors and SubContractors, the pain would be distributed across the Nation, affecting workers in every State, and all the blame would fall upon the President's shoulders. This blackmail threat still hangs in the air, as Rethugliecons keep pushing America over their imaginary Fiscal Cliff. That's why Romney could not be the one elected to do it. Blame had to fall on a Democrat in the Oval Office. The same is true for the cuts in Social Security and Medicare: only Democrats could be blamed for killing FDR's Social Safety Net. And Obama had been dropping a trail of hints that he was up to the task since he was a Centrist Senator, in 2007 when running for President on the Democratic Ticket. Obama was purchased, twice, by the Money Powers That Be in order to: 1) constantly push the center of American politics toward the Conservative Right; 2) keep Military Spending increasing by involving the US in more protracted Wars; and 3) lead Working Americans to understand that for their future, they shall "owe their souls to the company > Corporate Store", as an emerging new class of Wage Slaves permanently indebted to the Wealthiest 1%. With covert treaties like the TransPacificPartnership causing more American Jobs to be shipped overseas to jack up 1% Corporate profits, the nonmilitary Job Market shall never see a recovery, as more Unions are weakened and threatened with extinction. The 99% is rapidly becoming a debtor nation to the 1%. The Middle Class which sprung up from winning WWII and growing Labor Unions shall be put to a slow and painful death by an endless string of no-win Wars, that keeps money flowing out of Middle Class pockets to endlessly support a massively expensive, ever-growing War Machine. Peace shall never be an attainable goal for the US Military. Permanent War is the Business Plan of America's 1%. © 2012 Gene Messick, wordsmith __________________________________________ NOTE: because of the large number of Weapons photos in this Article, only the first 10 are shown: click on this Link to see them all: http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2?op=1 These 25 top Military Contractors sold over $207,000,000 in weapons to the Pentagon in 2010. See breakdown below. (This does not cover ANY larger cost of recruiting, training, deploying anyone in the Military, only Weapons purchase.) Top 25 reasons why Obama was reElected Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson | Mar. 13, 2012 US Army Ordnance Dept. poster (Minnesota Historical Society) In 1961, President Eisenhower warned us of the rise of the Military- Industrial-Complex in his farewell address. Was he was thinking of Corporations like these, selling about $235 billion in arms every year? Making weapons has become a U.S. specialty, with 47 American Corporations filling the top 100 grossing slots in the World. The following stats are put together by SIPRI based on numbers from 2010, ranked in terms of sales, and offer an unbiased view of how BIG a business WAR has become. #25 CACI International Global satellite communications equipment supports military intelligence. flikr/GovWin a Deltek Network Arms sales: $2.3 billion Total profit: $107 million Employees: 13,100 people While CACI International doesn't make weapons, they supply the U.S. Army with an information lifeline. The TROJAN satellite communication systems provide the Army with a global network of shared mission-critical intelligence. Source: SIPRI #24 Goodrich ACES II Aircrew Escape System Goodrich Corporation Arms sales: $2.2 billion Total profit: $579 million Employees: 16,300 people Goodrich is yet another company to get a piece of the F-35 Lightning II cake. They work on the fighter aircraft's landing system. The U.S. Air Force trusts Goodrich with making their ejection seat of choice, the ACES II. It is most widely used ejection seat today and is credited with saving more than 600 lives. #23 DynCorp International DI personnel unload a propeller to be put on an Army CH-47D Chinook flikr/Kenny Holston 21 Arms sales: $2.4 billion Total profit: $9 million Employees: 23,000 people DynCorp International provides logistical support to the U.S. government defense programs. In Afghanistan, they are engaged in removing and destroying landmines and light weapons. They are also involved with supporting air operations and have big contracts with the Department of Defense to maintain rotary and fixed- wing aircraft for all U.S. military branches. Source: SIPRI #22 Navistar Defense flikr/james_gordon_los_angeles Arms sales: $2.4 billion Total profit: $223 million Employees: 18,700 people Navistar Defense is all about military-strength trucks and engines. Their MaxxPro (Maximum Protection) product line includes MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protection) vehicles used by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Army. The ambush-protected vehicle has a V-shaped hull to deflect IED blasts away from the troops inside. #21 ManTech ManTech expertise covers ground, airborne and space systems. flikr/Steve & Jemma Copley Arms sales: $2.5 billion Total profit: $125 million Employees: 10,100 people ManTech serves the United States government's advanced technological needs, from maintaining military surveillance systems to detecting incoming attacks on bases. They're a leading provider of C41SR technology. The company started off in 1968 by developing the U.S. Navy's war- gaming models. #20 Hewlett-Packard flikr/Becca Taylor Arms sales: $2.6 billion Total profit: $8.7 billion Employees: 324,600 people They do more than office supplies and printers. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is the creator of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet which connects more than 700,000 military and civilian employee accounts, facilitating secure defense communications. It's network size is second only to the Internet itself. #19 Textron Soldiers loading a OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter flikr/Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office Arms sales: $2.7 billion Total profit: $86 million Employees: 32,000 people Textron owns a number of successful brands, such as Bell Helicopters, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Textron Systems, known for drones and armored vehicles. They are the makers of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter, which the U.S. Army uses in Afghanistan for armed reconnaissance and light air combat missions. It replaced the AH-Cobra attack helicopter as a scout aircraft for air cavalry troops. Two Kiowa Warriors can fit inside a C-130. #18 Rockwell Collins flikr/The U.S. Army Arms sales: $2.9 billion Total profit: $561 million Employees: 20,000 people Rockwell Collins focuses on navigation, communications, and aviation electronics - anything from a helmet-mounted device to a flight deck display on the colossal C-130 tanker transport aircraft. As a big customer, the U.S. Army uses the Defense Advanced GPS Receiver, a handheld navigational device for soldiers in the field. #17 ATK 5.56mm M855 small caliber ammunition ATK Arms sales: $2.9 billion Total profit: $313 million Employees: 15,000 people Known as ATK, this defense company is the largest provider of ammunition to the U.S. military and its allies. From the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri, ATK can produce up to 1.4 billion rounds of small-caliber ammunition per year. The U.S. Navy has chosen ATK to develop their Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM). #16 URS U.S. Army aviation personnel are trained at Fort Rucker, Alabama. flikr/Fort Rucker Arms sales: $3 billion Total profit: $288 million Employees: 47,000 people URS is a world leader in the disposal of weapons of mass destruction. They partner with Raytheon (#5) in the Joint, Test, Tactics, and Training (JT3) program which supports the testing and training for weapons systems such as the F-35 Lightning we keep mentioning URS also oversees the U.S. military's Basic Combat Skills Training Course, and are responsible for training aviators from the Army, Air Force, NATO and more than 30 other U.S. allies. You'll be seeing much more of URS around the world, as they're also behind the design of all future U.S. embassies. Go here to see photos for #15 thru #1 largest Military Contractors. http://www.businessinsider.com/top-25-us-defense-companies-2012-2?op=1 #15 KBR A Blue Angels pilot over Pensacola's Naval Air Station flikr/Official U.S. Navy Imagery Arms sales: $3.3 billion Total profit: $327 million Employees: 35,000 people KBR's defense portfolio focuses on base operations support and maintenance services to military facilities and equipment. The U.S. Navy had KBR lead recovery and repair efforts after Hurricane Ivan destroyed parts of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in September 2004. They're also involved in homeland security, providing systems to help secure borders. #14 ITT Exelis ITT technology is used for mission critical communications ITT Exelis Arms sales: $4 billion Total profit: $654 million Employees: 40,000 people The corporation's defense branch is called Exelis and is currently partnered with Boeing in a competition to develop the U.S. military's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) array transmitter technology. The NGJ program aims to give U.S. troops total dominance of the electronic battlefield with the ability to disable enemy communications and radars. The company also develops the Joint Tactical Radio System's Bowman Waveform, which allows U.S. forces to communicate securely with U.K. troops. #13 Pratt & Whitney The F135 engine in all its glory. Pratt & Whitney Arms sales: $4 billion Total profit: Contributed to parent company United Technologies' $4.7 billion Employees: 35,000 people Pratt & Whitney produces military engines and is responsible for the F135 engine in Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II strike fighter plane, which is slated to be the Allied fighter of the 21st century. The company also has engines in the F-22 Raptor, the C-17 Globemaster III, the B-52, and the EA-6B Prowler among other aircrafts. Their impressive client list includes 27 armed forces around the world. #12 General Electric Electronic warfare specialists from the British Armed Forces flikr/MATEUS_27:25&25 Arms sales: $4.3 billion Total profit: $11.6 billion Employees: 287,000 people General Electric makes electronic warfare its business. The company's defense program is focusing on military communications systems that meet the modern threat of hacking and network sabotage. They also design products that protect both military systems and the people operating them. The IPS5100 can be used in armored vehicles to give troops 360° situational awareness with the help of panoramic imagery that can be manipulated by touch screen, joystick and game- style controller. Operators can "interact" with the imagery and have eyes on the theatre of operation while staying protected in-vehicle. #11 Honeywell Chinook helicopters deliver supplies to frontline troops flikr/Defence Images Arms sales: $5.4 billion Total profit: $2 billion Employees: 130,000 people Honeywell's military arm supplies engine parts for anything from the Abrams M1 Main Battle Tank (General Dynamics) and the CH-47 Chinook (Boeing) helicopter, to weapons systems designed by other defense companies that made this list. Name any U.S. Air Force aircraft, and you will likely find Honeywell products within its engineering. Honeywell also comes up with covert solutions for guided weapons when relying on GPS is out of the question. Bottom line is: they make military stuff work. #10 Computer Sciences Corp CSC supports U.S. Navy aviation simulator training. defpro.com/U.S. Navy Arms sales: $6 billion Total profit: $759 million Employees: 91,000 people With a focus on technology-based solutions, the CSC's aerospace and defense sector is booming. Among its portfolios, it is responsible for training and simulation services for the U.S. military. In January this year, the U.S. Navy awarded CSC a $60 million dollar task order to instruct naval aviation simulator training programs. The U.S. Army has previously used CSC for designing battlefield simulations to help improve survivability by training soldiers and medics to save lives while under fire. #9 Oshkosh Keeping pace with rapidly moving forces. Oshkosh Defense Arms sales: $7 billion Total profit: $790 million Employees: 12,400 people Oshkosh Truck's defense branch is responsible for delivering severe- duty tactical and armored vehicles. The U.S. Marine Corps recently placed a $94 million dollar order for more than 200 Oshkosh LVSR (Logistics Vehicle System Replacement) cargo trucks, the Corps' heavy-payload platform of choice since it first debuted in Afghanistan in 2009. #8 SAIC SAIC cyber defense services detect and counter e-attacks SAIC Arms sales: $8.2 billion Total profit: $618 million Employees: 43,400 people SAIC's national security sector provides the Department of Defense, the FBI and other U.S. government civil agencies with engineering systems and anti-terrorism technologies. The SAIC Force Protection Suite, an integrated surveillance system, is used by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan to decide when and how to respond to enemy threat. #7 United Technologies Black Hawk helicopters serving the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. flikr/USACEpublicaffairs Arms sales: $11.4 billion Total profit: $4.7 billion Employees: 208,220 people United Technologies' military services business is most noted for the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, manufactured by subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft. The corporation also develops technology for aerospace and building industries. #6 L-3 Communications SPYDR is an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) beast. L-3 Communications Arms sales: $13 billion Total profit: $95.5 million Employees: 63,000 people The company's C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) solutions are used by all branches of the U.S. military. L-3 Communications says their small manned airborne intelligence- gathering platform, aptly named SPYDR, is the most versatile and inescapable in the world. It casts a "web" that captures mission- critical intelligence about its targets and delivers the information in real time. #5 Raytheon Raytheon's guided missile system. Raytheon Arms sales: $23 billion Total profit: $1.9 billion Employees: 46,900 people Raytheon's sectors of expertise are missiles and electronics. Their intelligence and information systems are used by the Missile Defence Agency, NASA, the Department of Defense and even the United Kingdom's Border Agency. #4 General Dynamics The Abrams M1 Main Battle Tank flikr/MATEUS_27:25&25 Arms sales: $24 billion Total profit: $2.6 billion Employees: 90,000 people General Dynamics produces military vehicles such as the legendary Abrams M1 Main Battle Tank, as well as ships, munitions, and military- grade communication systems. The company has also been awarded an $8 million dollar contract for work on U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarines. #3 Northrop Grumann Crew working inside the E-2C Hawkeye, the "eyes" of the U.S. Navy fleet. Northrop Grumann Arms sales: $28 billion Total profit: $2 billion Employees: 117,100 people Northrop Grumann's areas of focus include drones and cyber security in support of its homeland security solutions. They also develop CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) detection systems in place around the U.S. to identify potential threats. The corporation recently pledged to further deepen its commitment to hiring former service members, in partnership with President Obama's Joining Forces initiative to integrate more veterans into the civilian workforce. #2 Boeing Air Force One, the most recognized symbol of the U.S. presidency. Boeing Arms sales: $31.4 billion Total profit: $2.9 billion Employees: 160,500 people The military arm of Boeing's business is most known for the Global Strike military aircraft program. It supplies the U.S. military and other international forces with the likes of the AH-64D Apache combat helicopter, drones, missiles like the A160T Hummingbird, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter. The U.S. Air Force favors the F-15E Strike Eagle, which has a perfect air-to-air combat record so far with more than a hundred victories and no losses. #1 Lockheed Martin The F35-A test fleet stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. Lockheed Martin Arms sales: $35.7 billion Total profit: $2.9 billion Employees: 132,000 people Lockheed Martin's main weapons system is the F-35 joint strike fighter, expected to become one of the world's largest military aircraft programs. In expanding their F-35 program, Lockheed Martin opened a manufacturing facility in Pinellas Park, Florida, to develop parts for the F-35 Lightning II fighter. . ============================================== . Time Magazine selected a mass murderer as 2012 Person of the Year. Drone strikes approved by corporate fascist puppet president Barack Obama kill 49 innocents for every ONE "suspected terrorist" they hit. When Drones fly children die, and the American Military is as guilty of mass murder of children as the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary. Pray to your god for all murdered children . ============================================ To end future delivery, send a REPLY, type Remove Produced as a public service by Earthhome.us . . 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