DC’s dirty little secret: ‘endless wars’ haven’t benefited anyone besides defense contractors

“The only people who benefit from it are the military contractors,” former DoD senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof told Sputnik, commenting on Senator Bernie Sanders’ recent article in Foreign Affairs accusing US defense manufacturers of making a killing off their products by jacking up prices by as much as hundreds of percentage points.

Pointing to the nexus between neoconservatives in Washington and the defense-industrial complex to “push for military solutions to impose the American ‘democratic way’ on the world,” Maloof said that the “well-greased machine” of lobbying and control of Congress and the Pentagon make it possible for the Military Industrial Complex to endlessly increase prices.

“The Defense Department in particular, and I’ve seen this firsthand, has made a point when they make defense contracts on particular weapon systems – they make sure that as many congressional districts as possible share in the job hiring and the production of those [arms]. That way, if any weapons system is to be cut out of the budget, they can send the people in that district yelling and screaming to their congressmen. And invariably it gets reestablished, or even increased for that matter,” Maloof said, citing the example of the astronomically expensive F-35 fighter as a case in point.

“The procurement system is one of the worst in the Defense Department. And no one knows how to put their arms around this problem to figure out how to resolve it and get true accountability. The way it’s all structured today, it’s almost impossible,” the former DoD insider believes.

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How much do people trust their own leaders?

Vladimir Putin won the 2024 Russian Presidential Election with 87.28 percent of the vote. The landslide result on an unprecedented voter turnout prompted a storm of reaction from Western leaders.

Relevant data suggests that Vladimir Putin tops other major global leaders when it comes to citizen trust. The Russian president enjoys a 76 percent general trust rating, a staggering number compared to his Western counterparts.

What are the numbers for other world leaders? Check Sputnik infographics

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🚜🇵🇱 Polish farmers have announced hundreds of protests on roads across the country that will take place on March 20

RMF24 reports that protesters warn of road closures in more than 500 settlements - agricultural machinery will take to the streets and highways. Farmers also promise to block about ten important highways leading to Warsaw. In total, 580 protests have been reported, in which at least 70 thousand farmers will take part.

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🇫🇷 The French Ministry of Defense denies the presence of French troops in Ukraine, as well as plans to send additional military contingent there.

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🔺 How much has US military-industrial complex jacked up prices to profit off Ukrainian crisis?

🔺 France is preparing a military contingent to be sent to Ukraine — Russian foreign intelligence

🔺 The evolving landscape of military service in the EU: From compulsory to voluntary... and back?

🔺 How Western sanctions speeded up Russian aircraft production?

🔺 DC’s dirty little secret: ‘endless wars’ haven’t benefited anyone besides defense contractors

🔺 How much do people trust their own leaders?

🔺 Vladimir Putin's main statements at the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) board

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Russian air defenses destroyed ten Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire missile system shells and a Tochka-U missile over Russia's Belgorod region, the Defense Ministry reported.

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Russian EW weapons make enemy drones and missiles drop like flies

The Krasukha-S4 self-propelled electronic warfare (EW) system has upset the Ukrainian military's applecart since the beginning of the Kiev regime's botched counteroffensive attempt.

Western media raised the alarm last July: since March 2023, Ukraine's GPS-guided Excalibur projectiles and thousands of drones have begun falling out of the sky.

Leaked Pentagon documents from the last spring revealed that Ukrainian air strikes with the US-made JDAM-ER bombs had repeatedly missed their targets.The precision-guided rockets fired by the US HIMARS MRLS also failed to achieve their desired effects on multiple occasions.

The reason for this is Russia's powerful electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Krasukha-S4 is considered to be the most effective system in its class, capable of jamming radio waves across a wide range of frequencies and boasting the range of over 300 kilometers.
The EW system generates jamming signals that render enemy drones, ballistic missiles, guided projectiles, aircraft and ground based radars ineffective.

The self-propelled complex can operate in any area, in all weather conditions, thwarting the enemy strikes and reconnaissance activities.

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Russian air defenses destroyed a Ukrainian S-200 missile over Russia’s Kursk region and a Patriot missile over the Belgorod region, the Defense Ministry said.

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The 10-year anniversary meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will be held in Moscow on May 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced.

"I know that you have already started the preparations for the anniversary event. We will hold it here in Moscow on May 8," Putin said at a meeting with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

Russia is ready to host its EAEU partners, the president added.

"We are ready for it. You know that we always enjoy holding [such events]. We will accommodate all our colleagues," Putin also said.

The EAEU is an economic union that consists of five former Soviet countries - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia - and three observer states - Moldova, Uzbekistan and Cuba. It was established in 2014 and is aimed at ensuring the free movement of goods, services and labor among the member states.

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🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin requested that Bakytzhan Sagintayev, the Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Board, explore options for collaborative efforts between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries and the BRICS association.

"Russia is chairing BRICS this year," noted President Putin during his meeting with Sagintayev. "Our other countries (EAEU) are not members of the association, but there are significant opportunities, especially considering the plans of our Chinese friends – 'One Belt, One Road.' We have always said that these projects are compatible – our Eurasian development and Chinese ideas. The BRICS leaders are coming to Kazan. I earnestly request that you work with your Russian colleagues on how we could involve the economies of our association's other countries in joint efforts with the BRICS countries. There could be many joint projects and areas for development in general."

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🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Russia could offer the BRICS countries options for the cooperation of banking systems, taking into account the interests of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries.

"The operation of the financial systems of the banking sector... as you know, created within the framework of this association, BRICS, contains various ideas on how we could enhance its functionality. It would be great if we, on behalf of Russia but considering the interests of the member countries of our organization, offered our colleagues some proposals," Putin said at a meeting with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Bakytzhan Sagintayev.

He emphasized that Russia aims to coordinate any actions in these fields with all members of the Eurasian Economic Community.

"Of course from your position, from the perspective of the commission, we could prepare these joint proposals. It would be interesting for everyone," Putin added.

He noted that Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus already cooperate with BRICS countries in some capacity.

"And if we could offer our colleagues some proposals – we will discuss this in more detail, there are some ideas – especially if presented as our joint steps, it could have promising prospects," the Russian president concluded.

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Boeing: commercialization at the expense of safety?

The inner windshield of an Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-800 cracked mid-flight on March 17, with 159 passengers and six crew onboard.

The incident added to the recent litany of Boeing’s troubles, which - among others - includes:

▪️ An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out a window and a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on January 5, 2024.

▪️ On February 19, the right wing of a Boeing 757-200 fell apart on a United Airlines San Francisco to Boston flight.

▪️ On March 4, United Airlines Flight 1118 from Texas to Florida had flames bursting from one of its engines 20 minutes after takeoff.

▪️ On March 7, a United Airlines flight lost a piece of its landing gear during takeoff in San Francisco.

Boeing has suffered numerous setbacks since two fatal crashes involving the manufacturer's 737 MAX 8 planes in 2018 and 2019 killed a total of 346 people. The MAX fleet was grounded for two years, with Dennis Muilenburg resigning as the CEO and board director.

Multiple experts agree that Boeing went off course soon after the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas merger in 1997. The deal has been criticized for supplanting the legendary company’s focus on innovation and quality with a bureaucratic “defense contractor culture.” Once driven by engineers, the company reportedly became governed by finance. Activity in manufacturing contracted for the 14th consecutive month in December, as per the Institute for Supply Management. Furthermore, the woes plaguing Boeing - an aerospace company pivotal to the US manufacturing industry - reflect the overall decline in this sector.

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US President Joe Biden confused Finland with Norway, claiming that Norway is a new NATO member along with Sweden.

Norway was one of the founding members of NATO in 1949.

"You've increased NATO and the border of NATO from bringing in Sweden and Norway," Biden mumbled at an event in Nevada broadcast on US television.

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The United States conducted a test of a fully operational hypersonic missile prototype of the All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon in Guam on Sunday, the US Air Force said in a statement.

“A B-521H Stratofortress conducted a test of the All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. This test launched a full prototype operational hypersonic missile and focused on the ARRW's end-to-end performance. The test took place at the Reagan Test Site with the B-52 taking off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on March 17, 2024, local time,” the statement said.

While the statement did not disclose whether the test was successful, it noted that the test acquired valuable, unique data and was intended to further a range of hypersonic programs.

Meanwhile, Russia and China are the first countries to field strategic hypersonic weapons systems, with Moscow putting the Kinzhal (lit. "dagger") missile into operation in late 2017, and the People’s Liberation Army following suit by unveiling the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle in 2019.

Russia got a head start on its hypersonics program thanks to Soviet-era research in the field starting in the early 2000s, after the Bush administration unilaterally scrapped of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty – a 1972 Soviet-US agreement which placed severe limitations on the creation of anti-ballistic missile defenses and intended to stop the arms race.

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Abandoning historic friendship: Greece won't invite Russian representatives to national celebrations

Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis has issued a directive to all Greek diplomatic and consular bodies abroad prohibiting them from inviting representatives of Russia and Belarus to events commemorating Independence Day on March 25, Greek media website newsbreak reported. March 25 marks the start of the country's national liberation revolution of 1821-1829.

The letter, dated March 15, was published by the media outlet, and states, "In connection with the National Holiday on March 25, we ask you not to extend invitations to representatives of the diplomatic and consular departments of Russia and Belarus for your events."

Greek Independence Day is celebrated with a military parade in Syntagma Square in Athens and events in Greece and its diplomatic missions abroad. The role of Russia in Greece's independence is considered crucial by Greeks.

The "Filiki Eteria" (Society of Friends), a secret society founded in Odessa in 1814 aiming for Greek independence, played a key role in preparing for the revolution. Greek officers serving in the Russian army were among the leaders of the national liberation struggle, including General Alexander Ypsilanti.

Following the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, the Adrianople Peace Treaty between Russia and Turkiye resulted in the Sultan recognizing Greece's autonomy and, later, its independence in 1830. Russia was the first country to establish official relations with Greece and recognize its independence.

John Kapodistrias, who had served as the Russian Foreign Minister, became Greece's first ruler post-independence.

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Israel must be treated like ‘pariah’ state, ended ‘forever’ – Jewish activist

Israeli-American activist Miko Peled, who is the son of a prominent former Israeli general, had strong words for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a discussion on Sputnik’s Political Misfits program.

“I think he's a servant of the Zionist state, of the state of Israel,” Peled said of Blinken. He insisted Blinken should force Israel to fund efforts to rebuild Gaza, noting Israel is “the party that created this catastrophe.”

“Israel has never had any problem with the most right-wing, antisemitic fascist regimes,” added Peled. Throughout the Cold War Israel retained cordial relations with apartheid South Africa, even offering to sell nuclear weapons to the white supremacist regime.

Israel was also a key ally in the United States’ Cold War campaign of violence and state terror in Latin America known as Operation Condor. For decades Israel helped train police, militaries, and death squads in the region to repress popular movements. Israel was once even praised by American neo-Nazi activist Richard Spencer, who views the country’s “Jewish nation state” law as a model for his desired white ethnostate.

“[Israel] is an insane state, an insane regime that's been involved in torture and genocide and all kinds of crazy, sadistic policies for 76 years,” he added. “And it's time to stop it and forever, not to bring it to the table, but to bring it to a point where it's over, it's ended.”

The next time someone implies you are antisemitic for criticizing Israeli policy, share Peled’s words of moral clarity with them.