Prisoners Help Build Patriot Missiles (For War Profiteers)

[tekisui]

Source: Wired

This spring, the United Arab Emirates is expected to close a deal for $7 billion dollars’ worth of American arms. Nearly half of the cash will be spent on Patriot missiles, which cost as much as $5.9 million apiece.

But what makes those eye-popping sums even more shocking is that some of the workers manufacturing parts for those Patriot missiles are prisoners, earning as little as 23 cents an hour. (Credit Justin Rohrlich with the catch.)

The work is done by Unicor, previously known as Federal Prison Industries. It’s a government-owned corporation, established during the Depression, that employs about 20,000 inmates in 70 prisons to make everything from clothing to office furniture to solar panels to military electronics.

(snip)

The missiles are then marketed worldwide — sometimes by Washington’s top officials. Last year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates pitched the Patriots to the Turkish government last year, a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks reveals: “SecDef stressed that ‘nothing can compete with the PAC-3 when it comes to capabilities.’”

more: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/03/prisoners-help-build-patriot-missiles/

[bbinacan]

1. Question

Prisoners get .23 to 1.15. Are the companies paying higher amounts to the prisons to offset the costs of incarceration?

[tekisui]

2. I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised. The prisons love profits, too.

[Matariki]

3. Everyday the comparison to Nazi Germany becomes less Godwin's Law

and more the shameful truth.

[tekisui]

4. The Fascist Creep continues. Of the Corporations, for the Corporations.

In War We Trust.

[Ignis]

5. And yet you can expect to be shouted down if you mention it.

"It's just not done in polite society, dearie!"

:puke:

It reminds me a little too much of the alternative world of Jo Walton's Farthing trilogy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farthing_%28novel%29

[tekisui]

7. So true.

[tekisui]

6. kick for more comments.

[Solly Mack]

8. K&R