A just transition away from the war economy is possible

Ever since World War II, the US economy has become increasingly reliant on the war industry to provide jobs. It was, in fact, World War II that converted our existing economy into one dependent on government spending from the Pentagon and its associated agencies and industries. But it is possible to convert the economy back the other way, from one centered on the war industry to one that generates good jobs while addressing the existential threats of the climate emergency, pandemics, and ecological devastation.

In this panel discussion recorded on March 10, 2021, and organized by the War Industries Resisters Network (WIRN), panelists discuss the existential need to transition away from the war economy and the practical steps that would make it possible. (WIRN is a coalition of local groups and organizations across the US and around the world that are opposing their local war industries and collaborating to confront corporate control of US foreign policy.) With permission from the event organizers, we are sharing this recording with TRNN audiences.

Panelists Include: Miriam Pemberton, founder of the Peace Economy Transitions Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and author of the upcoming book Six Stops on the National Security Tour: Rethinking Warfare Economies; David Story, a third-generation union member born and raised in Alabama, President of the Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union Local 44 in Decatur, Alabama, and a founding member of the Huntsville IWW; Taylor Barnes, an award-winning, multilingual investigative journalist based in Atlanta who covers military affairs and the defense industry, and whose work has been published in local and national media outlets, including Southerly Magazine, Facing South, Responsible Statecraft, and The Intercept. This panel is hosted by Ken Jones of Reject Raytheon Asheville, a local movement of activists and peacemakers who have come together to ensure that the economic development of Buncombe County relies not on incentives given to war profiteering multinational corporations, but rather on investments in a sustainable local economic model.

Post-Production: Cameron Granadino

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[giannirocco]

Please let more people there is actually a option for peace and demilitarization!Please let people know that they are not alone in rejecting the war industry!Please let folks know how to do this!

[UtubeAW]

Raytheon in Asheville? This Charlottian says “f*ckin’ hell!”

[stevecoley]

Lead into gold
Tears into roses
Weapons into ploughshares

[mayabergsdottir]

Feels like your account being shadow banned by yt?! Great video thou... Many tnx 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[hopefortheworld]

It's really to bring power back to the people not the war industry!

[in-cite]

Why don't you interview the economics professor Richard D. Wolff?

[charleskesner]

Invevest in community not corporations. Good one.

[-AMPM-]

1:19 - The skill transition is near impossible... The skills required are more technical than the average veteran who used to repair the same jets? It's cultural, personal, tribal... Relating directly to the humans who command where and when production takes place. Veterans coming from this military, the last 20 years of "war" are nothing like the WW2 veterans from the "Boomer" generation of workers. We are hearing from the children and grandchildren of boomers who defended their jobs for their kids.

The kids weren't the most qualified to run those factories or design jets. But, they got the jobs anyway because pops was a union man...

[sugarfloat]

It is an inevitability, not a possibility.

[billk]

To many disenfranchised voters. Not enough people remain to represent the will of the people accurately. Alot of my friends aren't even aware or involved. How to get all to become impowered and involved?

[-AMPM-]

41:54 - Taylor Barnes has a habit of sucking her teeth, or otherwise making a high pitched noise using her mouth. It's a pausing compulsion. It's tiring on headphones. I think it could be edited out. Her message is important.

[roberttony]

A shift to a very competitive space economy, to create a future for future generations on worlds around other stars. Humanity without anything to aim for becomes a genitally obsessed narcissistic nothing, they need real goals to capture the imaginations and drive real human progress, from planetary species to galactic species. Keep them busy conquering space rather than each other ;D.