Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 January 2015
This paper deals with the genesis, development, and impact of Military Keynesianism in the U.S. Its impact on the civilian sector is examined in terms of: geographical distribution of military spending, sectoral militarization, labor market and occupational distortion, the militarization of R & D, R & D's impact on American competitiveness in the international market, the parasitic role of the military contract system and the unethical and exploitative role of military contractors.
This paper examines the issues related to disarmament and economic conversion with special reference to bills pending before the Congress. The author suggests a redefinition of “national security” in tune with the INF Treaty and the end of cold-war ideology.
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One of the most striking examples of the contrast between the way in which products produced for military as opposed to civilian markets lies in the comparison of the Boeing 747 and the Lockheed C5A cargo plane. Both of these are jumbo jets of roughly comparable size, but the former was designed and produced for sale to commercial civilian airlines and the latter for sale to the U.S. Air Force. The 747 is a smooth flying, highly reliable aircraft flown daily by most of the world's major airlines, and is as energy efficient when fully loaded as a Volkswagen “bettle” carrying only its driver. The C5A has been plagued by severe operating difficulties, including cracking of the wing pylons, crash-producing failures of the rear cargo door, and considerable landing gear problems. The Air Force has acknowledged that a cargo version of the 747 was selling at about $23 million per plane as against the $60 million per plane cost of the C5 A. Furthermore, the wing defects on the C5A, which reduced its estimated service life by more than 70%, were projected to cost some $1.3 billion to repair, nearly doubling the original cost estimates for the program.
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