While we were all too busy following what happened to the Titanic submarine, a cool $6.2Bn accounting 'error' was discovered at the Pentagon that was quickly pushed out of the headlines.
Aside from that though there are other examples of why many, rightfully so, are demanding something be done about the price gauging.
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...investigation by Responsible Statecraft has uncovered some glaring examples of Department of Defense contractors raising the price of their products by astronomical multiples.
Boeing used to charge about $300 for trash receptacles used aboard E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes, which use the chassis of a Boeing 707 airliner. After that aircraft vanished from civilian fleets, the trash can lost its status as a "commercial" item, freeing Boeing to stick it to American taxpayers.
How badly? "In 2020, the Pentagon paid Boeing over $200,000 for four of the trash cans, translating to roughly $51,606 per unit," reports Responsible Statecraft's Connor Echols. The next year brought an apparent volume discount: In 2021, the Pentagon bought 11 trash cans at "only" $36,640 each. Together, the price on the two years of purchases represented a whopping $600,000 markup over previous prices.
"These companies have abused the trust government has placed in them, exploiting their position as sole suppliers for certain items to increase prices far above inflation or any reasonable profit margin," wrote Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mike Braun (R-IN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/boeing-charges-pentagon-52000-trash-can-previously-priced-300?ref=biztoc.com60 minute did a really good interview on this recently
We've always touted how much we spend on the military "more than the next 10 countries combined" but how much of that is actually on tangible things and not price gouging? If on average the pentagon is overcharged by 40% that means that 900Bn budget is not that it's all that it's made out to be. You think Russia or China is paying 36k for trash cans in their budgets?