Thursday, July 13, 2023

Defense Industry Must Become a Public Utility

 Cluster munitions may be effective for trench warfare with minimal risk to civilians.  But their sale to Ukraine was not made on policy grounds.  The United States was out of munitions.  The defense industry has overcharged and under delivered.

It is time to stick a pin in our ballooning defense budget.  A recent "60 Minutes" exposed the monopolization of weapon systems.  The defense department is at the mercy of industry.  With no competition, profit margins are excessive.

We already have a model for monopolies.  Two power grids would be inefficient.  So too natural gas pipelines and service.  To keep utilities on the up and up, the rate of return on investment is set by a government body.  Utilities face no risk of losing money, but their  profits are controlled.

The public utility system may be imperfect, but it is infinitely superior to our present system.  

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