The military-industrial complex, sectoral conflict, and the study of U.S. foreign policy

The question of the military-industrial complex provides an interesting case in the sociology of knowledge. During the 1960s and 1970s, scholars directed considerable attention toward the phenomenon of military-industrial linkages, and numerous titles contained the phrase ‘military-industrial complex’. This chapter analyses the military-industrial complex perspective. The economic importance of the military-industrial complex has been widely debated. Paul Baran and Paul Sweezy argue that defense spending constitutes a kind of ‘military keynesianism’, and that military expenditures stimulate the whole macroeconomy. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is an excellent case study in the context of the discussion for the simple reason that it was a decisively important event in the history of the cold war. It is generally agreed that it was Afghanistan, more than any other single factor, that ended the policies of détente between the United States and the USSR.