US 'Waste' in Afghanistan: A Feature, Not a Bug
A new RT report bravely points out the US 'squandered' up to $29 billion in Afghanistan through waste, fraud, and abuse. This revelation, framed as a scandal by some, is merely the latest chapter in a long-running saga of defense contractor largesse. The Pentagon's own audit, SIGAR-23-01-AR , details the usual suspects: ghost soldiers, unbuilt schools, and matériel that evaporates. Meanwhile,
Lockheed Martin's stock ( LMT ) soared roughly 150% from 2011 to 2021. Waste implies an accident. But when billions consistently disappear into the military-industrial complex's maw, with no accountability for those at the top, one might reasonably conclude the system is operating exactly as designed. The 'lessons learned' reports always focus on low-level incompetence, never the policy architects
who benefit from endless campaigns. It's not waste when it's your revenue stream.