Ike warned us

As he was leaving office, President Eisenhower warned about the power of the "military-industrial complex" in driving our national agenda. That warning is often quoted, rarely heeded.

Never heeded less than right now.

In Obama's budget proposal, the F-22 fighter plane will be phased out. Originally designed to fight the Soviets in the cold war, newer models have been adapted for more air-to-ground missions. However, although we have 183 of them, DoD Secretary Gates points out that they have not been used (because they are not useful) in either of the two wars we have been fighting for the past 7 and 8 years.

Makes sense, doesn't it, to phase out building any more? The budget calls for just 4 more, although I fail to see why we need 4 more of something we don't use and have a stockpile of 183 anyway. Politics must be involved.

Yes, indeed. Enter our own Senator Saxby Chambless, who has vowed to fight for the F-22. In language aimed at arousing voters, he's using two key words: Iran and jobs.

Saxby is rattling the spectre of Iran as a nuclear power and the potential loss of jobs from Marietta's Lockhead-Martin that builds the F-22 -- both hot button, key issues right now.

Surely 183 F-22s is enough to protect us against Iran, especially given that we have a much newer, more useful fighter jet to take its place.

But the military-industrial complex is a powerful force. Ike warned us.

Ralph