When the Trump White House released its budget and called for a $1.5 trillion line for military spending, it reminded me of a farewell address from Jan. 17, 1961. President Eisenhower warned the nation about the threat of the “military-industrial complex.” He thought, if not regulated and checked, this relationship would undermine American democracy.
Eisenhower noted that, “We must not fail to comprehend its grave implications…we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence…by the military-industrial complex.”
Today, we stand on the same precipice regarding the war with Iran with Jared Kushner and other Trump family members heavily investing millions in the new art of war, drone warfare.
These investments create an obvious conflict of interest, with Kushner’s and family members’ first millions of investments coming weeks before Donald Trump initiated his war of choice against the nation of Iran.
Pope Leo referred to Kushner and others of his ilk as “merchants of death,” reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s 1963 song, “Masters of War.”
This song warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex with the lyrics, “Come you masters of war. You that build the big guns. You that build the death planes. You that build all the bombs. You that hide behind walls. You that hide behind desks [the White House]. I just want you to know I can see through your masks.”
One lyric phrase is revealing when Dylan writes, “You that never done nothin’ but build to destroy…and like Judas of old, you lie and deceive…and hide in your mansion [Mar-a-Lago] while the young people’s blood flows out of their bodies and is buried in the mud.”
Dylan continues, “Jesus would never forgive what you do.”
Hollywood has addressed the masters of war in several films, and one that comes to mind that mirrors Pope Leo’s condemnation is the 2005 movie starring Nicholas Cage entitled Lord of War.
Cage plays an international arms dealer from Ukraine. Other films on this topic are the 2016 film Dogs of War and the true biopic Charlie Wilson’s War, starring Tom Hanks.
In this context, the war with Iran will get worse before it gets better—for U.S. citizens and the global community—because there are money and blood profits to be made.
