Defense Addiction

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 a debilitating dependence of a key sector of the American economy on defense jobs and profits. Based on hundreds of interviews with defense contractors, union representatives, members of Congress, state and federal officials, lobbyists, economic development professionals, and local activists, Defense Addiction 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.
Providing guidance to companies and communities struggling to break free in the face of inadequate government policies, 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 habit.

Author Biography

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 defence Monitor, a weekly television program of the centre for defence Information. He has written and spoken widely on defence and foreign policy issues.