Trump's 'Golden Fleet': Because Starvation Never Sinks a Shipbuilder's Stock
Donald Trump, per The Independent, is advocating for a 'golden fleet' of new Navy ships, citing a threat from China. (Always China, never the collapsing infrastructure at home.) This isn't groundbreaking; every administration since Eisenhower has managed to find a new 'threat' to justify surging defense budgets. Meanwhile, in 2023 alone, major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon
Technologies reported billions in profits, their stock prices often spiking with every new international 'crisis' or proposed military procurement. One might wonder why, with a national debt spiraling and over half a million Americans experiencing homelessness according to HUD's 2023 report, the first thought isn't infrastructure, healthcare, or housing. Instead, politicians reliably turn to
defense spending, enriching a handful of corporations and their lobbyists while assuring the public it's all for their 'safety.' Funneling taxpayer money into more 'golden' warships won't build schools or provide medical care; it just guarantees fatter dividend checks for defense contractor shareholders and ensures the revolving door between the Pentagon and private industry keeps spinning.