Author: William D. Hartung

Should We Push the Pentagon off the Cliff?

December 10, 2012

You can’t open a newspaper or watch a TV news program anywhere in the U.S. these days without endless speculation about the impending “fiscal cliff” – a combination of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will occur if Congress and the President don’t come up with a deal to cut the federal budget deficit. The first thing to know is that for the most powerful sectors of U.S. society, there will be no “fiscal cliff” – they are sitting on plenty of cash and can easily weather any short-term reductions in their revenues.

La NRA es global

October 23, 2012

Después de dos meses y cuatro casos de tiroteos que estuvieron en primer plano – comenzando con las muertes en masa en un cine en Aurora, Colorado – ni Barack Obama o Mitt Romney han dicho una palabra sobre el control de armas. Existen varias razones por este silencio pero el más importante entre ellos son tres palabras: La Asociación Nacional del Rifle (NRA).

The NRA Goes Global

October 8, 2012

It’s still hard to believe. After two months and four high profile shootings – commencing with mass killings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado – neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney has said a word about gun control.

Time to Rein in the Global Arms Trade

June 13, 2012

Even as the world remains mired in the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, one sector continues to thrive: global arms exports. Mexico is the largest new market.

Plan Republicano: Arrojar Dinero al Pentágono

March 26, 2012

En los debates en Washington sobre cómo reducir el déficit presupuestario de Estados Unidos, una agencia está tratando de conseguir un pase libre: el Pentágono. Los cabilderos de las armas han estado haciendo una campaña de miedo diseñada para impedir cortes en los gastos militares, argumentando que las reducciones en los gastos del Pentágono “devastarían” las defensas de Estados Unidos y dañarían una economía estadounidense ya débil.

Republican Plan: Throw Money at the Pentagon

March 21, 2012

While President Obama’s approach is no threat to the profits of major weapons contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, his main Republican opponents would actually increase the amount of taxpayer money that goes to these huge companies. Mitt Romney has adopted the most aggressive stance, pledging to keep Pentagon spending at 4% of the United States’ Gross Domestic Product.

El Plan de Defensa de Obama, Mapa Estratégico para Conservar la Hegemonía Global

January 25, 2012

La estrategia revisada de defensa de la administración Obama, presentada en el Pentágono el pasado 16 de enero, ya es objeto de ataques. No se ha prestado atención adecuada al hecho de que las modestas reducciones que el Plan de Obama contiene seguirían permitiendo al aparato bélico de Estados Unidos un alcance global sin paralelo en un momento en que las amenazas militares tradicionales se contraen rápidamente.

The Obama Defense Plan: Roadmap for Continuing Global Hegemony

January 16, 2012

The Obama administration’s defense strategy review, unveiled at the Pentagon on January 6th, is already under attack. A point that has not received adequate attention is the fact that the modest reductions contained in the Obama plan would still leave the United States military with unparalleled global reach at time when traditional military threats are rapidly receding.