When most people talk about powerful American lobbies, they might list the NRA or AIPAC. The arms industry, however, is rarely mentioned. Yet its ability to sway events in Washington and pass legislation favorable to its interests is…well, frightening.
…How has the arms industry been able to influence policymaking so much? Besides the obvious impact of large campaign donations, weapons manufacturers have also made inroads in Congress because they’ve been highly effectively in “sanitizing” what they’re selling. Rather than portraying them for what they actually are — instruments that maim, kill and cause terrible destruction — the arms industry has been effective in downplaying the purpose of their product. Regular ads from Lockheed Martin and Boeing present their products as a feat of technological magnificence, and reports from both companies tout their weaponry as “precise” and “surgical,” spreading the false notion that war is little more than a game where only the bad guys get hurt.
The marketing tactics have paid off. By presenting themselves as honest businessmen (rather than peddlers of a murderous technology) and their weaponry as a product like any other, representatives of the arms industry have been able to gain greater influence in Congress. Indeed, marketing tactics have improved the reputation of ‘defense lobbyists’ so dramatically in the past few decades, they are now able to meet with Congressmen without the risk of a political backlash. Unfortunately, all the face-time that arms lobbyists are getting with Congressmen means that other, much-needed voices are not being heard. You can be sure, for instance, that the arms industry has a lot more sway in Congress than do smart, pragmatic, peace groups like the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Yet, are not our priorities screwed up as a nation when the arms industry gets 10, 20, 50, even 100 times more room to air their views than do thoughtful members of the pro-peace lobby?