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About this quote

What does it mean?
Kennan argues the US military-industrial complex would survive even without the Soviet Union by inventing new adversaries to sustain the economy.
In plain terms
The military industrial complex would stay strong even without the Soviet Union by finding new enemies.
What can you take from it?
Beware of institutions that need enemies to survive.

Where it applies

  • defense budget debates
  • policy analysis
  • election cycles

Putting it to work

  • audit defense spending
  • question threat assessments
  • limit military contractors

Questions to consider

  • Does the military need enemies?
  • How do we fund defense fairly?

Another view

A strong defense is needed for national protection.

More from George F. Kennan

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  2. Anyone who has ever studied the history of American diplomacy, especially military diplomacy, knows that you might start in a war with certain things on your m…

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  3. We are, if territory and population be looked at together, one of the great countries of the world - a monster country, one might say, along with others such a…

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