Trump Urges Defense Firms: More Bombs, Less Buybacks
In an announcement Bloomberg dutifully reported, Donald Trump plans to browbeat defense executives into prioritizing "weapons development" over stock buybacks and executive pay. One might wonder if the concern is truly about defense or simply more efficient war profiteering. After all, the US military budget hovers near a trillion dollars, and Lockheed Martin's stock value soared 24% in two years
during 2022-2023, largely fueled by global conflicts and generous Pentagon contracts. The issue isn't a lack of cash, but how to deploy it most destructively. This isn't about fiscal prudence; it's about ensuring the war machine grinds away optimally, providing the 'best' tools for unending conflicts. The contractors, already awash in taxpayer money, have simply been directing some of that bounty
to their shareholders. Now, a president wants to ensure a larger slice of that pie goes directly into manufacturing more implements of destruction. How many 'last warnings' will Ukraine, Gaza, or other regions get before this 'efficiency' manifests?