Incidentally, some scholars of Welfare policy have argued that the US' very high military spending is so high because the military-industrial complex basically works as a welfare program, providing jobs and various benefits that alleviate poverty in some area, and compensate for the lack of social spending.
As tempting as this argument can be, it is incorrect as American military spending - including all the money showered on contractors and so on here as well - is not now and never has been concentrated in areas with severe social problems. Quite the opposite actually (a couple of well-known exceptions aside). There
is often a link to politics (why,
yes, Congressman Dan T. Porkburger Jr. is indeed very interested in the idea of a military base/major armaments factory being built in his district) but such things go on in other countries as well, if on a smaller scale.
