RE: Human Rights

[Brian Considine <bconsidi@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

		I would put forth that a military industrial complex would
favor a cold war over peace or active engagement (i.e. Kosovo).  Consider
the following:

1.	Prolonged peace is not desirable because it would motivate policy
makers to 'raid' the military budget to pay for other programs.
2.	Active engagement (i.e. Kosovo) does have some positive influences
on the military.  It increases the amount of money to cruise missiles  but
the bulk of the cost would go to supplies (i.e. rations, fuel, ammunition)
and labor (combat pay, medical care for wounded etc.) .  While the war may
keep expensive new weapons systems from being cut, it doesn't seem to be a
good motivation for high margins to suppliers.
3.	A Cold War, on the other hand, encourages heavy investment in new
high tech weapons systems (think Star Wars) and high pay to military
personal.  You get the best of both worlds without having to actually risk
your life...so to speak.



				-----Original Message-----
				From:	Matthew Martin
[mailto:iskra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
				Sent:	Friday, April 16, 1999 1:38 PM
				To:	POST-KEYNESIAN THOUGHT
				Subject:	Re: Human Rights

				> > The invasion of Yugoslavia is not about
human rights. NATO does not give a
				> > damn about violations of human rights in
its own member states, why should
				> > it care about the human rights of the
Kosovar Albanians?

				Militaries as organizations do not thrive by
sitting home peacefully.  A
				military organization could be expected to
seek out opportunities to wage war
				and increase its budget thereby.  Since
budget increases require popular public
				support, militaries, which really don't care
about why they are fighting, will
				tend to fight wars that have popular appeal,
such as attacks on totalitarian,
				genocidal dictatorial regimes, no matter how
popular these regimes may be in
				their own country, or with some nationalist
sympathizers.  The end result is
				bigger budgets for all militaries involved
and taxpayers get what they pay for.

				Matthew Martin