U.S. Cries Treason Over Training, Not Over Selling Jets to Dictators
NPR reports on the U.S. government's zealous pursuit of Daniel Duggan, an ex-Marine accused of 'conspiring' to train Chinese military pilots between 2010 and 2012. The outrage suggests a profound betrayal of national security. Yet, one might wonder where this same righteous indignation is when U.S. military technology and training flows freely to regimes with documented human rights abuses and
destabilizing regional agendas—often hand-in-glove with lobbyists. Consider, for instance, the continuous supply of advanced weaponry and training to governments like Saudi Arabia, facilitating a brutal war in Yemen, or the military aid package to Israel, totaling $3.8 billion annually for decades (OpenSecrets.org data confirms consistent lobbying efforts for such aid). The U.S. government seems
perfectly fine with its equipment and expertise being used in actual conflicts, just not when it potentially benefits a geopolitical rival. The legal fervor for Duggan versus the quiet approval of war profiteering suggests a definition of 'national security' that's less about protecting values and more about protecting market share and political influence.