I believe two years ago, Congress (bipartisan) agreed to DOD's budget request, then gave them $25B more than they even asked for! Last year, I believe they gave an extra $58B. And it's not about active or retired military members. Many members of Congress have defense contractors in their regions. I've heard these contractors are building planes and jets that the military does not even want. Then, (as in mentioned in the Plunderers book), politicians move fluidly between politics to regulators to CEOs. Total conflict of interest. Dick Cheney as VP had total access to our military/defense needs. You can bet he pushed Bush to go to war.
"Halliburton gained $39.5 billion in "federal contracts related to the Iraq war". Many individuals have asserted that there were profit motives for the Bush-Cheney administration to invade Iraq in 2003. Dick Cheney served as Halliburton's CEO from 1995 until 2000."
I also read that Cheney began getting rid of Army staff and replacing them with his privatized employees.
I just ordered this new book: War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine
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