Lockheed Martin and the Role of Private Military Corporations in the 21st Century

What follows is a brief excerpt from William D. Hartung's 1-11-11 Huffington Post article entitled "Is Lockheed Martin Shadowing You?:  How a Giant Weapons Maker Became the New Big Brother":

"Have you noticed that Lockheed Martin, the giant weapons corporation, is shadowing you?  No?  Then you haven’t been paying much attention.  Let me put it this way: If you have a life, Lockheed Martin is likely a part of it.

"True, Lockheed Martin doesn’t actually run the U.S. government, but sometimes it seems as if it might as well.  After all, it received $36 billion in government contracts in 2008 alone, more than any company in history.  It now does work for more than two dozen government agencies from the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy to the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.  It’s involved in surveillance and information processing for the CIA, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Pentagon, the Census Bureau, and the Postal Service."

To read Hartung's entire article, click HERE.  Speaking of Lockheed Martin, this CHART from Business Insider might be of interest.  Furthermore, from SourceWatch comes this piece regarding the current role of private military corporations in the United States and abroad: 

"Private military corporations, private military firms, private security companies, military services providers, the privatized military industry are all attempts to label the phenomena of private companies offering services on the world market that have normally been duties of national military forces or involve armed security detail for business in unstable regions. Every service caters to security, and the growing need for security in a world wrought with differing economic, strategic, and military interests has provided a marketplace that is rapidly expanding.

"These services include risk advisory, training of local forces, armed site security, cash transport, intelligence services, workplace and building security, war zone security needs, weapons procurement, personnel and budget vetting, armed support, air support, logistical support, maritime security, cyber security, weapons destruction, prisons, surveillance, psychological warfare, propaganda tactics, covert operations, close protection and investigations [...].

"The single largest issue introduced by the evolution of military services by the private sector is the degree to which corporations are now transcending the power of governments, rising as an influential variable within international and regional diplomacy, and redefining sovereignty in the 21st century. Advocates of the industry claim they are economically efficient and point towards the failure of the UN and the system of world governments to cease violence, genocide and civil war around the world."

To read the entire SourceWatch piece, click HERE.

What follow are a few snippets from Matthew Rocco's 10-2-17 Fox Business article entitled "Las Vegas Shooter Worked for Predecessor of Lockheed Martin":

"The man identified as the shooter responsible for killing and wounding hundreds in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock, previously worked for a company that later become Lockheed Martin [...].

"'Stephen Paddock worked for a predecessor company of Lockheed Martin from 1985 until 1988. We’re cooperating with authorities to answer questions they may have about Mr. Paddock and his time with the company,' Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

"Lockheed Martin did not disclose which company employed Paddock."


To read the entire Fox Business article, simply click HERE.