How the Defense Industry Corrupts State PoliticsTed Baumann A policeman in Cape Town fired that particular canister. But it wasnt made in South Africa. Combined Tactical Systems, based in Jamestown, Pennsylvania manufactured it. CTS 37mm M1A2 teargas rounds were exported to South Africa throughout the 1980s from their factory on banks of the Shenango River. Since then, CTS and other U.S. manufacturers have continued to make cash hand over fist by meeting the crowd control needs of such bastions of democracy as Egypt, Yemen and Sierra Leone as well as the police force of Ferguson, Missouri. As the situation in that Midwestern town forces the nation to open its eyes to the militarization of Americas police something weve been writing about for years theres one thing almost nobody is talking about Although you could be forgiven for thinking so from the way the mainstream media has covered the issue, the process of transforming Americas police from Sheriff Andy Taylor into Robocop didnt start yesterday. It actually began in earnest in 1990 under the 1033 Program a little-known part of the so-called War on Drugs. The idea was that if the U.S. wanted its police to act like drug warriors, it should equip them accordingly. Since then, and with a massive boost from the War on Terror, billions in taxpayer funds have been spent to transform American police forces into clones of the U.S. occupation forces of Iraq and Afghanistan. The 1033 Program and related facilities represent massive profits for U.S. defense contractors. As our Middle Eastern wars wind down, theyve created a $30 billion-a-year domestic market for their MRAP armored troop carriers, night-vision rifle scopes, camouflage fatigues, Humvees and M16 automatic rifles, amongst other things. This isnt just cast-off surplus stuff, either. The Pentagons Defense Logistics Agency often simply purchases gear from a defense contractor and transfers it to a local law enforcement agency free of charge. A recent ACLU report says that 36% of equipment transferred under the 1033 program is brand new. Of course, thats just the beginning of the gravy train. Advanced weapons need parts and maintenance, thereby creating another potential taxpayer-funded revenue stream for the defense industry.And once police get used to arming themselves like soldiers, they become direct buyersof war-goods, using another system of fat grants from the Department of Homeland Security. The domestic U.S. market for military gear has gotten so big that it even has its own trade shows. Urban Shield, which originated as a disaster-preparedness exercise, has now become one of the nations premiere showcases for purveyors of military gear to domestic police forces. A recent Urban Shield event in Connecticut was sponsored by Blackhawk Industries, and featured wares from companies like ThunderSledge (breaching tools for smashing open locked or chained doors), Lenco Armored Vehicles (bulletproof trucks) and KDH Defense Systems (body armor). The Watchmen Bribe Their Own Watchers In his Satire VI, the Roman poet Juvenal asked, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Whos watching the watchmen? He wrote as the Empire suffered under a series of disastrous emperors foisted on it by the Praetorian Guard, the emperors protective service. They routinely bribed the Roman Senate to ensure they remained the de facto rulers of Rome. The people charged with overseeing Americas own Praetorian Guards sit in Congress and in the 50 statehouses. But as in Juvenals time, the Watchmen are running riot because those charged with overseeing them have become corrupt. As you might imagine, a pork barrel as big as the 1033 Program and the Department of Homeland Security grant system attracts a lot of snouts to the trough. One of the most powerful industries on Capitol Hill is the U.S. defense-industrial sector. It contributes about $25 million to congressmen and senators annually. In addition, it spends over $120 million each year on more than 900 lobbyists. Thats a lot of steak and martini dinners. Special treatment is given to those with the most responsibility. Rep.Buck McKeon(R-Calif.), chairman of theHouse Armed Services Committee, has received more than $1.4 million from the defense sector since 1992. Curiously, 40% of that $567,000 came during 2012, as our wars in the Middle East were winding down. The results of this lobbying largesse arent hard to discern. In June, the House voted onlegislation that would have blocked the Pentagon from spending resources on military hardware for local police agencies. The bill was defeated 355-62.An analysis of this vote reveals some interesting facts: The defense industry also spends on state politics, where law enforcement procurement decisions are made more than$8 millionin campaign contributions has been spent on state elections in the last decade. Thats what James Madison thought of a standing army a military force that has no particular job to do, and is therefore perpetually in search of one. Americas domestic police forces have come to resemble the standing armies the Founders feared. Most Americans havent really noticed the change inthe police forces because they dont participate in street protests, suffer from armed police raids or seek out information about militarization. None of us should be surprised. Our government spends more than 20% of its budget on the military not including what we spend on our imperial wars. The U.S. is the worlds largest manufacturer and consumer of war goods, making up nearly 80% of the global arms market. With that much money involved, corruption seeps into our democratic institutions. As a result, we now have a government, like the ancient Romans, that cant be bothered to address our legitimate needs. However, it spares no expense to ensure that it can grind our rights into the dust whenever it chooses. As we have sown, so do we now reap. Related selfnews Post Article: Ted Bauman is an Offshore and Asset Protection Editor who joined The Sovereign Society in 2013. As an expat who lived in South Africa for 25 years, Ted specializes in asset protection and international migration. He is the editor of Offshore Confidential and Plan B Club. His writing is featured at The Sovereign Investor, where this article first appeared. For more information about how to protect your assets, please visit here. 