Running the military like a business. How much are the Saudis paying?
by Spocko The Sunday morning shows are targeted at the beltway insiders and lobbyists. Especially military lobbyists. Military contractors are their primary sponsors. It would be fun if the hosts asked questions that would make the sponsors happy, like:
"How big is the Saudi protection contract? How long will it last? Which branch will make the most money?"
U.S. anti-missile weapons, such as the Patriot air defense system pictured here, are being deployed to Saudi Arabia in the wake of an attack that’s been blamed on Iran. (Sebastian Apel / U.S. Department of Defense)
We always hear that Trump thinks of things transactionally. So he will think of the Saudi protection contract as a "new business" contract that he got for the Pentagon. He expects the Pentagon will make money off the deal, after all, "They pay cash!"
With the recent deal that let him move money from military programs to The Wall, Trump can now see the military budget as just one big pool of money--that he just added to by signing a long term protection contract with "The Kingdom"
Trump will now expect the generals and the contractors to be grateful to him. He's a good earner for them. The Wall money, from the military budget, is now rightfully his. After all, he got them the big contract. When he didn't go after MBS for the murder of Khashoggi, he was protecting a huge revenue stream to the military.
When the Pentagon makes money, Trump expects to get some of that money. (I believe in the mob world they call that "kicking up" or "getting a taste." All my mob knowledge comes from the Sopranos, so I could be wrong on the lingo.) Trump already got cash with Saudi hotel stays and their purchase of the 45th floor of his building.
What this means is that Fox News Sunday @FoxNewsSunday with Chris Wallace should be asking about the size of the deals and how long they will last, because the Pentagon is now a subcontractor for Trump, who is working for the Saudis. This would make Trump happy. And that is the job of Fox media, making Trump happy.
The other morning show are supposed to keep the military sponsors happy. No anti-war talk! When was the last time you saw a peace activist on the morning shows?
Final thoughts:
I wonder if the Saudis put out an RFP on the protection contract? Wouldn't that be fascinating to see?
(Did Erik Prince bid on this? Was the US military the low bid?)
I'd love to see it broken down by line items, like those crazy hospital bills in our for profit Healthcare system.
X drones plus support team of 22 people each. 19 million each.
Y satellite time $59,000 an hour 24 hours for 7 days.
Z planes flying over Yemen 59 million each. NOTE: Fill up with gas at an airport close to Trump properties $11 million dollars per quarter.
To help Americans oppose wars, we often talk about the people who might die, the "boots on the ground." I wonder how much do mercenary outfits charge when one of their people is killed? More or less that the US military?
When US military die working on the Saudi's oil protection contract, do the generals say to their families, "It was nothing personal, it's just business."?
