The reason the Pentagon has become so powerful is that they

[WCGreen]

shrewdly spread the money and procurements across as many congressional seats as possible.

There is also that under lying belief that for the US economy to keep growing, the Pentagon must show world wide power in order to protect the transpiration of goods to the home front, protect the investment "our" corporations have made around the world.

In the 60's and 70's there was this movement in the resource rich Third World to seize the economic investments that America and the West had made in their country's. That was why we got involved in places such as Nicaragua.

Anyway, far too many people in power are afraid what would happen to the economy if the Pentagon was challenged.

Oh yea, and I forgot the main part of all this, the Pentagon has to now and then show that all that money was spent for a good cause. So we must have some periodic shows of force to justify Pentagon spending to the masses.

That is why Cain was bleating on about China trying to build an Aircraft Carrier when we have 11 up and roaming the seven seas as of this moment. One more being built and two in the planning stages...

We have more carriers than the world combined.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That certainly makes sense.

The Pentagon is good at protecting its interests......at our expense.

They spend entirely too much of our money and it has to stop.

Wars are not good reasons to keep on funding the Pentagon.

[RC]

2. bu$h the lesser re-stacked the Brass in the Pentagon.

Forced out the Doves and replaced them with Brass that did not have a problem with Collateral damage caused by made up facts, or any other reason. That is what we are living with today.
A good house cleaning at the Pentagon, from the top needs to be done.
Obama has done very little to nothing to correct this wrong.

[slipslidingaway]

3. Yes and a movie worth watching ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_We_Fight_(2005_film)

Three minute clip from the movie, the full movie is online.

Why We Fight - Oil & Blowback
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wg1WuPgFJQ

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2006/02/01/why-we-fight-2/

"...Speaking of Santa Claus, this is precisely the role the U.S. government plays in relation to military contractors. These guys are the active element that keeps the military-industrial complex (MIC) running like a well-oiled treadmill; and, since Eisenhower’s day, the MIC has become an enormous edifice, one that relentlessly and quite profitably perpetuates itself almost like an living organism. The trick in the militarism business, we are told by a Defense Department analyst, is to over-promise the benefits and lowball the costs of any new defense system – and then spread around the campaign money to as many congressional districts as possible. Chalmers Johnson notes that the B-2 bomber has parts made in so many different congressional districts, if you discontinued it you would have even the most liberal members screaming bloody murder. An economic-political force is built up by the MIC that makes the momentum of militarism practically unstoppable..."

[saras]

4. It's good work if you can get it

Everyone I've ever known who's done defense work agrees - it pays a hell of a lot better than making civilian stuff, they treat you better and more respectfully, it pays a hell of a lot better, you generally use the latest tools of your trade, and it pays a hell of a lot better.

You have to fit into that culture, of course.