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I think "military–industrial complex" is the typical term.

rchaud 4y ago
It is, but despite it being coined by a former US President and WW2 Allied General, it is now taken to mean something akin to "defund the military".
- krapp 4y ago
  Eisenhower wasn't exactly praising it when he coined the term, and the military and military-industrial-complex are different things. You can support one but not the other, although most people who use it in conversation tend to be against both, since it's implicitly pejorative.
- MikeTheGreat 4y ago
  Could you clarify? I'm having trouble understanding the equivalency because "Military industry complex" is a noun and "defund the military" is a verb (more-or-less)
  - adwn 4y ago
    I believe rchaud meant that the set of people using the term "military industrial complex" has a large overlap with the set of people demanding to "defund the military".
- KerrAvon 4y ago
  In what circles does it mean that? I’ve never heard that one.
  - rchaud 4y ago
    Among politicians. Military spending is the one thing that never sees top-line cuts, even among so-called fiscal conservatives in Congress that are otherwise happy to slash "wasteful" federal funding for social programs. You can lobby all you want to cut other types of government 'pork', and you'll probably have some champions in Congress on the same page. Only the military is untouchable. It's un-American to even consider cuts in that sector.
- r00fus 4y ago
  It has a bad rap because of the lobbying that defense companies do to ensure their profits are fed by the government. Oh and the wars. I'd say they're equivalent to Big Pharma or Big Oil - all of which have captured any regulatory agency designed to control their misbehaviors.
- runlevel1 4y ago
  For those unfamiliar with it, it was President Eisenhower's farewell speech: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower%27s_farewell_address https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower%27s_farewell_addres...

It is, but despite it being coined by a former US President and WW2 Allied General, it is now taken to mean something akin to "defund the military".

krapp 4y ago
Eisenhower wasn't exactly praising it when he coined the term, and the military and military-industrial-complex are different things. You can support one but not the other, although most people who use it in conversation tend to be against both, since it's implicitly pejorative.
MikeTheGreat 4y ago
Could you clarify? I'm having trouble understanding the equivalency because "Military industry complex" is a noun and "defund the military" is a verb (more-or-less)
- adwn 4y ago
  I believe rchaud meant that the set of people using the term "military industrial complex" has a large overlap with the set of people demanding to "defund the military".
KerrAvon 4y ago
In what circles does it mean that? I’ve never heard that one.
- rchaud 4y ago
  Among politicians. Military spending is the one thing that never sees top-line cuts, even among so-called fiscal conservatives in Congress that are otherwise happy to slash "wasteful" federal funding for social programs. You can lobby all you want to cut other types of government 'pork', and you'll probably have some champions in Congress on the same page. Only the military is untouchable. It's un-American to even consider cuts in that sector.
r00fus 4y ago
It has a bad rap because of the lobbying that defense companies do to ensure their profits are fed by the government. Oh and the wars. I'd say they're equivalent to Big Pharma or Big Oil - all of which have captured any regulatory agency designed to control their misbehaviors.
runlevel1 4y ago
For those unfamiliar with it, it was President Eisenhower's farewell speech: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower%27s_farewell_address https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower%27s_farewell_addres...