The Political Culture of the Metropolitan-Military Complex

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-299
Author(s):  
Roger W. Lotchin

Like many modern historians’ concepts, the notion of political culture comes to us from the social sciences, especially anthropology and political science. One assumes that political culture is a term familiar to most readers. The term metropolitan-military complex may require some explanation. I coined the phrase some years ago when undertaking a study of San Francisco politics. At the time, the inquiry was fairly conventional. Yet as I worked through the struggles over municipal services, labor and management problems, political structure, mass transit, minorities, parties, reformers, bosses, and so forth, the role of the military loomed ever larger. The longer the military was investigated, the more important that role appeared to be. Eventually, I changed the focus of my study from politics, conventionally defined, to the relationship between cities and the military. President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the term military-industrial complex in his 1961 farewell address to describe an alliance among technicians, congressmen, bureaucrats, military men, and businessmen. He did not define his words rigorously, but he left the definite impression that the military-industrial complex (MIC) was national in scope and something close to a conspiracy on behalf of greater defense spending. The president also implied that the MIC had only recently appeared. Subsequent commentators on the subject have largely followed this approach, stressing the importance of conspiracy, militarism, Washington bureaucrats, big business, and big congressmen. They have also accepted the World War II or cold war origins of the alliance as well as its national scope.

Cinema’s Military Industrial Complex examines how the American military has used cinema and related visual, sonic, and mobile technologies to further its varied aims. The essays in this book address the way cinema was put to work for purposes of training, orientation, record keeping, internal and external communication, propaganda, research and development, tactical analysis, surveillance, physical and mental health, recreation, and morale. The contributors examine the technologies and types of films that were produced and used in collaboration among the military, film industry, and technology manufacturers. The essays also explore the goals of the American state, which deployed the military and its unique modes of filmmaking, film exhibition, and film viewing to various ends. Together, the essays reveal the military’s deep investment in cinema, which began around World War I, expanded during World War II, continued during the Cold War (including wars in Korea and Vietnam), and still continues in the ongoing War on Terror.


Author(s):  
Timofey V. Alekseev ◽  

The paper deals with the history of the Olonets metal works – one of the centres of military industry in pre-revolutionary Russia. It aimed to analyse the views of Russian researchers on the problems of military production at these plants and their role in providing the army and navy with weapons in the 18th – еarly 20th centuries. The works of the pre-revolutionary, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods were studied. The relevance of this research is substantiated by the need for an in-depth examination of such a phenomenon in Russian history as the military-industrial complex and its prototype represented by the military industry of pre-revolutionary Russia. The article is focused on the way Russian historiography presents the organization of military production at the Olonets metal works, their technical reconstruction in order to master the production of brand new types of weapons, as well as the role of foreign specialists and foreign technical, technological and organizational experience in this process. The study revealed some important features of the Olonets metal works operation: the use of the economy’s mobilization mechanisms for their creation, their role as a transmitter of military production experience to other Russian regions, the influence of non-economic factors on the existence of military industry enterprises, as well as the effect and significance of diffusion of innovations in military industry. It is concluded that the final period in the history of the Olonets metal works (late 19th – early 20th centuries) is poorly reflected in Russian historiography. In addition, the research points out the need for a comprehensive work on the history of military production at the Olonets metal works in general.


Author(s):  
S. Belousov

The article covers different aspects of the Israeli military-industrial complex and military-technical cooperation with foreign countries. At the present stage, the development of Israeli military-industrial complex depends significantly on its export operations. The innovative high-technology production focus, diversification of consumers, active positions uptake abroad allows Israel to achieve a great success in the military-technical sphere and join in the top five leading world actors at the international world arms market.


Author(s):  
Iurii V. Erygin ◽  
Elena V. Borisova

The article discusses the problems of involving the innovative potential of enterprises of the military-industrial complex in the implementation of innovative projects for the non-defence high-technology production, as well as determining the role and place of the regional innovation infrastructure in their implementation. The aim of the study is to justify the role of a region in the implementation of innovative projects for the non-defence high-technology production, to determine features and formulate requirements for the development of the regional innovation infrastructure that provides support for these innovative projects based on the interaction of the regional innovation system enterprises with the military-industrial complex and infrastructure facilities at the national and international levels. As a result of the study, the authors highlighted the most important areas of interaction between the enterprises of the military-industrial complex and the region’s innovative infrastructure facilities (raising funds, promoting high-tech civilian products to national and international markets, etc.) and formulated the requirements for its formation. The results of the study can be used in managing the innovative development of the regions where high-tech enterprises of the militaryindustrial complex are located


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-241
Author(s):  
V. F. Mihin ◽  
S. S. Chevgun

The article considers the evolution of the term «sustainable development» in the context of the United Nations (UN), identifies inaccuracies and contradictions. The paper investigates the reflection of the UN concept of sustainable development in the national legislation of Russia, reveals the high variability of the used combinations of the terms «sustainability», «development», and the lack of definitions, limiting the understanding and the possibility of application of the considered norms. It is proposed to consider people as an economic category separately from the factors of production, since such categories as labor; management, scientific, entrepreneurial, intuitive and creative abilities; goodwill – are unique characteristics of the person, due to socio-cultural, medical, biological and environmental factors. On the basis of consideration of interrelations in the system «biosphere-society-stateeconomy-industrial complex «the author's definitions of the terms» sustainable development of the militaryindustrial complex (MIC) «in the broad and narrow sense,»the mechanism of sustainable development of the MIC» are proposed. The term «sustainable development» in relation to the functioning of the military-industrial complex (MIC) is understood by us as the ability of the defense industry system to achieve its goals indefinitely, to develop integrity and improve, while having the ability to resist the external influence that prevents it. The mechanism of sustainable development of the military-industrial complex, including the algorithm of sustainable development and levels of sustainability. The absence of applicable to the military-industrial complex techniques, methods, criteria, measures and standards of sustainability of development is revealed, the system of characteristics is proposed. It is proposed to use predictive-corrective management method for sustainable development of the defense industry, as providing the highest quality. The necessity of transition to a new social paradigm of understanding the role of the economy in the considered system of interrelations.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-548
Author(s):  
Carl G. Jacobsen

Our understanding of the Soviet defence burden remains woefully inadaquate. The official Soviet defence expenditure figure is not helpful. It is not inclusive. There is no concensus on what or how much is covered by other budget accounts. Soviet statistics do not allow independent calculation. Official Western estimates, on the other hand, are equally dubious. They reflect more on Western political dynamics than on Soviet reality. The Soviet defence industry is not immune from the vicissitudes of the economy at large. The Soviet military do not enjoy carte blanche. They contribute extensively to civilian needs, both in terms of goods and services. But, in turn, they extract benefits from a wide range of civilian endeavors. The military-political culture, rooted in an older Moscovy, and reinforced by Lenin's Clausewitzian leanings, is quite different from that which prevails in the west. There is no military-industrial complex threatening the Soviet State. In the USSR the military is OF the State, integral to a wider establishment. The military burden cannot be specified, for much is inextricably fused with the burden of State, and culture. It is systemic. It will be sustained. Because it is OF the System. Western debate is ethnocentric. We need new research, new under standing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Ceccorulli ◽  
Fabrizio Coticchia

The international context seems to be increasingly exposed to multidimensional and transnational challenges, ranging from irregular migration and piracy to the violation of basic human rights. Rather than excluding a potential role for the military, many European states rely on it to face a complex security scenario. What are the reasons behind this activism? Taking Italy as a case study, this article works out two main arguments (ideational factors and interests relating to the so-called military–industrial complex) and tries to intercept their weight in the national debate leading to the decision to intervene militarily (or not) in Sri Lanka (2004–05), Haiti (2010), and in the Central Mediterranean (2015–). Ultimately, this effort contributes to understanding the role of the military instrument in Italy, a state particularly exposed to the new challenges ahead, and offers tools for research to be potentially applied in other countries that make similar use of armed forces to deal with non-conventional security threats.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4(73)) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
S.N. Larin ◽  
N.A. Sokolov

At the present stage of socio-economic development of the world community, the dominant paradigm has been the use of high technologies, new scientific knowledge, the introduction of innovations as the leading factors in ensuring effective economic growth and national competitiveness. The article shows the growing role of enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex in modernizing the domestic economy and implementing its transition to innovative development through the implementation of conversion projects. The necessity of developing new and effective organizational and economic mechanisms and tools for converting R&D results that are adequate to modern conditions for their practical use by enterprises producing civilian products is substantiated. A solution to the problem of optimizing R&D expenses for the enterprises of the military-industrial complex is proposed by determining the price of scientific and technical products at the stage of their development, taking into account the possibility of their use in the implementation of conversion projects


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