2 decades. $7 TRILLION. 5 weapons contractors.

 

At the heart of a broken U.S. foreign policy is an unaccountable, astronomical war budget.

F-35 fighter jets that don’t fly? ✅ 

“Security assistance” for human rights abusing foreign governments? ✅

 Massive amounts of fossil fuel emissions? ✅

There’s only one winner when it comes to waste like this: Weapons contractors. These companies profit by keeping our priorities focused on war, so it should be no surprise that they’re willing to stack the deck, no matter the cost. 

This is why the five largest mercenary corporations — Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics — ALL ramped up donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results in this year’s midterms. [1]

Not many dare to confront the enormous influence of mega-weapons corporations and their lobbyists, but that’s what Win Without War is built to do. Next year we’ll be readier than ever to push back on eye-popping Pentagon budgets, if we have you with us.

Over the past two decades, up to $7 TRILLION has gone directly from taxpayers into weapons makers’ corporate bank accounts. The top recipients of Pentagon contracts? You guessed them — the mercenary five: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics.

Whether it's selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, fueling the climate crisis, or building fighter jets that won’t fly, our foreign policy doesn’t reflect our country's security needs. Rather, it reflects the desires of gigantic weapons corporations who gave lawmakers nearly $30 MILLION during the midterms.

Simply put, it’s corrupt. And these donations show just how far weapons contractors are willing to go. Apparently, it isn’t enough to rig the systems to work against peace — they’re working against democracy too.

Now is the time for reflection and resolutions, so here’s ours: 2023 will be THE year we turn the tide on this fundamental flaw at the heart of our country’s policy.

Why are we so confident? Because our power is GROWING, and that means our potential to push back is too. Two years ago, 93 Representatives voted to cut the Pentagon budget by 10%. This year, 151 voted to lop off $37 billion. That’s not all: The 118th Congress will have the largest number of progressives in DECADES, with nearly a dozen new progressive Democratic members in the House alone. 

But even with this momentum, we’re still facing an entrenched status quo, along with a Republican majority in the House. If we want to win, we’ll need to have the resources on hand to go BIG, and that’s where you come in.

We’ve been working toward this moment with allies in Congress and everyday people across the country for YEARS. Now, we’re on the verge of something incredible — and 2023 could be our best chance yet.

Thank you for working for peace,

Yint, Shayna, Sara, and the Win Without War team

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[1] DefenseOne, "Largest defense firms donate millions to election-denying lawmakers"

A U.S. foreign policy rooted in human rights and justice won’t happen overnight. 
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