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Bringing Light Into Darkness – Mon, 11/14 @ 6pm

Posted on: November 14, 2022
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Bringing Light Into Darkness

Legs of the Chair that Support the Egregious Wealth Disparity that Undermines both our Democracy and Democratic Aspirations

Tonight, we blend a number of instructive themes from previous Bringing Light Into Darkness investigative journalistic presentations we have presented over the years. Who benefits from War? Our discussion includes the revolving door of Generals and Pentagon officials that sit on defense contracting boards and are paid handsomely. Many of them also are hired guns if you will, considered military experts, for the major news networks who actively preached opposition to ending the US Afghanistan two-decade war and argue against negotiating a peace settlement in Ukraine as we speak while at the same time are on the payroll of those companies whose sales and the value of their stocks soar as a result of perpetuating war not seeking peace. All of this is hidden from the “news and analysis” consuming US public. Meanwhile President Biden signed into law a spending package that includes a record breaking $782B for the annual US defense budget that a small handful of the largest defense contractors disproportionately benefit from. These defense contractors are identified.

According to the Cost of War at Brown University, Pentagon spending for the Afghan War alone has cost over $14T. Over the last two decades $2.5 billion dollars have been spent on lobbying. Meanwhile we cite the source study that estimated in 2011 waste, fraud and abuse totaled $31B- $60B. How does this serve the public interest?

We also detail domestically how corporate interests, strengthened by 2010 Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, exert enormous influence within our country, often outside public knowledge, and how a considerable amount of influence, behind the curtain if you will is exercised by corporate generated legislation, much a direct product by the corporate interest group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). We excerpt previous BLID shows one featuring Austin investigative journalist Mary Tuma, that seek to unveil how influential the corporate-state law collaboration nature and profile of ALEC has been and how by its disproportionate influence on our laws again, outside public awareness, undermine our democracy.

Please join us. Don’t be Late!