Lockheed's Hypersonic Lab: America's Forever War Economy Gets New Toys
Bloomberg breathlessly reports Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new hypersonic weapons lab, framed as a desperate scramble to 'catch up' with China and Russia. The implication? America is falling behind, and more taxpayer dollars must be funneled into the military-industrial complex. What Bloomberg forgets to mention is that Lockheed Martin, the nation's largest defense contractor, raked in $12.5
million in lobbying expenses in 2023 alone, ensuring politicians are well-primed to approve their ever-expanding budgets. These are the same politicians who then decry insufficient funding for healthcare, education, or infrastructure – apparently, missiles that travel five times the speed of sound are a more pressing national need. This 'race' is less about national security and more about
shareholder reports. Lockheed's stock price, already at record highs, seems to appreciate every new global flashpoint or technological 'gap' that requires yet another multi-billion-dollar contract. One might wonder if the endless cycle of identifying new adversaries and developing increasingly destructive weapons benefits anyone beyond the defense industry's C-suite and the politicians they
generously 'donate' to. How many hypersonic labs does it take before we have universal healthcare?