How Liberals Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Military Industrial Complex

Article originally published by Mint Press News

WASHINGTON — With March 19 marking 16 years of continuous war in Iraq, there is a distinct feeling of deja vu in Washington, as neocon figures like John Bolton and Elliot Abrams beat the drum for war in Venezuela. Liberals and progressives have traditionally been more critical of war and militarism than their conservative counterparts. But in the age of Trump, everything seems up for debate, and the media is trying to sell the military-industrial complex to a more discerning, liberal audience.

A case in point is a recent Bloomberg article from Hal Brands, the Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, entitled “Progressives Should Learn to Love the Pentagon Budget.” It argues that leftists like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are “misguided” in criticizing defense spending, as the military bolsters the middle class by creating jobs, provides healthcare to its employees, and “spreads liberal values...”