[HCCN] Fwd: Defense spending wastes jobs

[Judith Robbins]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Global Network" <globalnet at mindspring.com>
> Date: January 10, 2010 9:35:57 AM EST
> To: "Peaceworks" <peaceworks at lists.riseup.net>
> Subject: Defense spending wastes jobs
> Reply-To: "Global Network" <globalnet at mindspring.com>
>
> http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=307822&ac=PHedi
> Defense spending wastes jobs
>
> January 10, 2010
>
> Peace activists question the value of spending more money on new  
> ships in a time of need.
> In your Jan. 1 story on the Navy's DDG-51 destroyer made at Bath  
> Iron Works, you quote a retired Naval officer saying that the ship  
> is the "envy of the world."
>
> These ships, outfitted with "missile defense" systems, are today  
> being used to surround the coastal region of China.
>
> The job of these ships is to take out China's 20 nuclear missiles  
> capable of hitting our west coast. The U.S. Space Command has been  
> annually war-gaming an attack on China in which the Aegis missile  
> defense systems are used to pick off China's remaining retaliatory  
> capability after our first strike.
>
> Your article also mentions that the ships cost $1.2 billion each  
> and that the work force at BIW has fallen to 5,500. We are often  
> told that military spending is good for the economy.
>
> But a recent study, "The Employment Effects of Downsizing the U.S.  
> Military" by University of Massachusetts economics department,  
> found that military spending actually creates fewer jobs than any  
> other kind of investment.
>
> The UMass study reveals that for every $1 billion of spending on  
> military production, 8,555 jobs are created. But when that same  
> amount of money is spent on home weatherization, 12,804 jobs are  
> created, or when spent on education, 17,687 jobs result.
>
> Current war spending is killing our economy. Almost $1 trillion has  
> been wasted on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no end in  
> sight. Maine's share of these wars is now more than $2.4 billion.  
> Just imagine how those funds could have been used in our state  
> dealing with our budget problems.
>
> Instead of spending our national treasure on war, the time has come  
> for the public to demand real change. We must urge that our Maine  
> elected officials speak out against continued militarism.
>
> Let's create more jobs and promote real peace.
>
> Bruce K. Gagnon
> Coordinator
> Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
> PO Box 652
> Brunswick, ME 04011
> (207) 443-9502
> globalnet at mindspring.com
> www.space4peace.org
> http://space4peace.blogspot.com/  (blog)

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mainetalk.org/pipermail/hccn_mainetalk.org/attachments/20100110/a0ef19bc/attachment.htm>