America's Biggest Jobs Program -- the U.S. Military

[dtotire]

America's Biggest Jobs Program -- the U.S. Military

Robert Reich

Former Secretary of Labor, Professor at Berkeley
Posted: August 11, 2010 09:33 PM


America's biggest -- and only major -- jobs program is the U.S. military.

Over 1,400,000 Americans are now on active duty; another 833,000 are in the reserves, many full time. Another 1,600,000 Americans work in companies that supply the military with everything from weapons to utensils. (I'm not even including all the foreign contractors employing non-US citizens.)

If we didn't have this giant military jobs program, the U.S. unemployment rate would be over 11.5 percent today instead of 9.5 percent.

And without our military jobs program personal incomes would be dropping faster. The Commerce Department reported Monday the only major metro areas where both net earnings and personal incomes rose last year were San Antonio, Texas, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. -- because all three have high concentrations of military and federal jobs.

This isn't an argument for more military spending. Just the opposite. Having a giant undercover military jobs program is an insane way to keep Americans employed. It creates jobs we don't need but we keep anyway because there's no honest alternative. We don't have an overt jobs program based on what's really needed.

more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/americas-biggest-jobs-pro_b_679426.html

[fogonthelake]

1. yup, gotta keep those wars agoing!!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[MH1]

2. "don't need" - tell that to the troops rotating back to theatre too quickly

I generally agree with Robert Reich but the definition of what is 'needed' in terms of military troop strength is debatable and should not be glibly assumed based on other wishes as to their application.

[sui generis]

3. sarcasm aside that has always been true though.

Normally you can afford to pay a large volunteer military organization much more cost-effectively if you AREN'T at war. That leaves soldiers and sailors to do things like patrol the oceans, manage our satellites and airspace, and maintain armed presence in critical strategic locales to dissuade less enlightened neighbors from seeking new territory. It also makes a military that has higher churn and shorter rotations, meaning more people get to take advantage of have earnings and earning skills.

[SocialistLez]

4. I know plenty of people my age who joined the military or are considering it

just so they'll have income.

They THINK they will have their college paid for but a lot of them are in for a rude awakening.

[Donnachaidh]

8. you've got to wonder whether that was the plan all along -- to get fresh recruits

After all, with the endless wars it's far easier to shuffle the young kids into the Military Industrial Complex than actually come up with a jobs program.

There seems to be no problem with producing glossy *Be All That You Can Be* advertising to run ad nauseum on the channels young men watch - Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, Spike, etc....

After all, the wealthy don't want *their* kids to fight wars, but they still need the government to look after corporate interests abroad.

[Demeter]

5. And That Says It All, Doesn't It?

It's an indictment of the DC Bubble Boys--old or new.

[katty]

6. of course, pull jobs so yr ONLY choice of employment is WAR

+all other related industries.

[Jefferson23]

7. No honest alternative..we don't have an overt job program based on what we really need...

You said it brother.