"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military‐industrial complex…Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific‐technological elite."
(President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address, 1961)
Example:
Weapon Innovation becomes the subject of politics.
The R&D program began following Vannevar Bush's command and helped fund atomic weapons research, the creation of missiles and aircraft, military electronics, and chemical weapons. It also created military technological creation programs at elite U.S. Universities such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins. This program, being as expensive as it was, raised controversy and criticism from then Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson in the 1950's. Wilson believed that "Basic research is when you don't know what you are doing”, and for that reason fought to end this program.
Military Technology in Foreign Policy
As the current hegemony in the world stage, the U.S. accounts for around half of the global military spending. The U.S. also spends the most money on developing new technology, situations that undoubtedly relate to each other. The development of new military technology is high important to both the governments of the U.S. and foreign states, as evidenced by this video of Vladimir Putin, Russian President, reports to his cabinet members the current state of Russian military technology. This is a source of pride for all states, figuring out exactly who has this new technology and how they are using it. Here are a few more sources, if you would like to learn more.
Technology and the History of War
US Military Threats to Russia and China
Sources:
http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199270439.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199270439-e-039
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