The Lessons Learned From America's Reliance On Military Contractors In Afghanistan

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4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2022

⏱️ 30 minutes

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Summary

In 2020, the Department of Defense awarded more money in federal contracts than all other government agencies combined. And one study found that nearly half of defense spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan went to private contractors.

Even after America's complicated withdrawal from Afghanistan, Congress approved the biggest defense spending bill in history.

We focus in on why we rely on for-profit defense businesses and how much money the government continues to throw their way.

This show is a part of our listener-suggested series. At the beginning of the year, we ask our listeners what topics they want to learn more about. This idea came to us from Leo in Tucson, Arizona.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Back in 2014 I worked at a passport factory and was a State Department employee.
0:13.7	No, there was a main contractor and I worked for the subcontractor.
0:18.1	Very low wages.
0:19.1	It was a virtual sweatshop.
0:21.8	Then recently I discovered that to visit or telephone anyone at the Pima County Jail
0:27.2	here in Tucson one must go through a private company.
0:31.1	I found this very annoying and it got me to thinking about all this contracting from city parks
0:40.5	and recs departments to private prisons to of course the military and the Raytheon missile
0:48.6	company here in Tucson.
0:49.8	I believe it is locally the number one private employer looking forward to the show.
0:56.5	Thanks.
0:57.5	Today we are taking a look at the world of government contracting as part of our listener
1:02.0	pick series.
1:03.4	This idea came to us from Leo in Tucson Arizona who we just heard.
1:07.8	After the break we will dig deep into private military contractors.
1:11.0	You will hear what we learned from relying on for-profit defense businesses during the
1:14.8	Afghanistan war and how much money continues to go to contracting.
1:19.4	I am Jen White.
1:20.4	This is the 1A podcast where we get to the heart of the story.
1:23.9	Remember to join future conversations, download our 1A Vox Pop app and leave us a voicemail.
1:29.0	We will get into that and more after the break.
1:35.5	Support for NPR and the following message come from BetterHelp offering online counseling.
	...

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