I want to do 3 things in connection with this subject;
A) find out what exactly is an iron triangle, B) find out how they sustain themselves and C) how we can avoid or stop them.
...
Starting with A...
Back in 1961, in his Farewell Address to the Nation, President of the United States (and former general of the army) Dwight D. Eisenhower used the term "the Military–industrial complex". He actually warned us:
"we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence,
whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."
what did he mean by that?
Eisenhower biographer, Geoffrey Perret, wrote that Eisenhower
“originally intended to include Congress in this indictment and deliver a blast at the ‘military-industrial-congressional complex.’ At the last minute, he struck out ‘congressional.’”
His Exact Words:
"A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction... This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together."
WikiWisdom, in it's introduction of the article 'Military–industrial complex', describes it as "a type of iron triangle".
Define an Iron Triangle?
Any Self-Reinforcing Power Structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal.
A picture speaks a thousand words...
OK, let me try to translate this to 'non american' and general; Congress is the 'law' or maybe more precise, the morals of the law. Bureaucracy is the 'form' of the law, the 'fine design', the legal implementation and maybe even enforcement? Interest groups are mostly industry, shareholders, lobbying ... The 'public' is nowhere to be seen...
Someone else its interpretation :
" The closed, mutually supportive relationships that often prevail in the United States between the government agencies, the special interest lobbying organizations, and the legislative committees or subcommittees with jurisdiction over a particular functional area of government policy. As long as they hang together, the members of these small groups of movers and shakers tend to dominate all policy-making in their respective specialized areas of concern, and they tend to present a united front against 'outsiders' who attempt to invade their turf and alter established policies that have been worked out by years of private negotiations among the 'insiders'. " A Glossary of Political Economy Terms copyright © 1994-2005 Paul M. Johnson
Ok , now that we sortof know what they are, B) find out how they sustain themselves:
Let's stay with 'the same' someone else:
" The middle-level bureaucrats who run the agencies may use their special friends in Congress to block the efforts of a new President or a new Congressional majority leadership bent on reforming or reducing the size of their agencies. The Congressmen and Senators on the oversight committees can count upon their friends in the agencies to continue "pet" programs and pork-barrel projects important to their local constituencies or even to do special favors for their political supporters and financial backers. Lobbying organizations provide useful information to the committees and the agencies, provide campaign support for the relevant Congressmen, and often help to mobilize public opinion in favor of larger appropriations and expanded programs for "their" part of the government bureaucracy. In return, they tend to be consulted and carefully placated when new laws or administrative regulations or important appointments affecting their special interests are being made. These triangles are said to be "strong as iron" in that these mutually supportive relationships are often so politically powerful that representatives of the more general interests of society are usually effectively prevented from "interfering" with policy-making altogether whenever their concept of the general interest runs counter to the special interests of the entrenched interest groups, bureaucrats and politicians. "
( Pork-barrel legislation: Appropriations of public funds by legislative assemblies for projects that do not serve the interests of any large portion of the country's citizenry but are nevertheless vigorously promoted by a small group of legislators because they will pump outside taxpayers' money and resources into the local districts these legislators represent. Successful promotion of such pork-barrel legislation is very likely to get the legislator re-elected by his constituents )
A Glossary of Political Economy Terms copyright © 1994-2005 Paul M. Johnson
( Pork-barrel legislation: Appropriations of public funds by legislative assemblies for projects that do not serve the interests of any large portion of the country's citizenry but are nevertheless vigorously promoted by a small group of legislators because they will pump outside taxpayers' money and resources into the local districts these legislators represent. Successful promotion of such pork-barrel legislation is very likely to get the legislator re-elected by his constituents )
A Glossary of Political Economy Terms copyright © 1994-2005 Paul M. Johnson
In stead of just looking at the triangles itself, to see what sustains then and definitely before we can begin to avoid/stop them, I first want to make a list of subjects that I see as the fundamentals of these triangles.
If there was no Status Quo, no 'stability' in any of the 3 elements, they would de-solve. I know that page on my website is also fundamental the same list as this one. Could it be that 'The' status quo is in essence an Iron Triangle?
There is enough evidence that funding can have a big influence on the results of a particular research.. This is not necessarily straight forward fraud or corruption. Apart from that the 'dependency' of lab on the Funding might cause a 'strategic' bias, there maybe an ( even unconscious) need to 'please' the client.
But, the 'nature' of knowledge (as shown in the diagram) indicates that there is an other way to 'steer' a study to come to a 'beneficial' conclusion. When you choose a researcher who's previous research 'proved' results compatible with what is 'required', in other words, select the researcher with a proven set of believes that can easily accept the required outcome, there is a bigger chance the results will be what is wanted.
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1997538_code1782625.pd_f?abstractid=1997538&mirid=1
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