To learn more about the U.S. War Machine and alternatives to the war economy, refer to the following resources:

Primary Research Resources:

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute- Leading resource on global arms trade research. Each year SIPRI produces a “Top 100 Arms Producing Companies and Military Contractors” List that tracks the annual profits of global arms corporations (and of course, US corporations always top the list). They also have an extensive database that logs global arms transfers.

Costs of War Project from the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University- The Costs of War Project is a team of 35 scholars, legal experts, human rights practitioners, and physicians that use research and a public website to facilitate debate about the costs of the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the related violence in Pakistan and Syria. Read here a report by William Hartung and Catherine Lutz on the financial, human, and environmental costs of war: “The Military Budget and the Cost of War”

National Priorities Project- Leading research organization that examines how much of our taxes go to wars and militarism. Take a look at its Protecting Our Communities: A State's Guide to Demilitarizing for a Brighter Future project to see what a demilitarized budget could look like and pull some good stats in support of reeling in the war machine.

Airwars.org- This is a website that monitors and assesses civilian casualties from international airstrikes in Syria, Iraq, and Libya and enables us to understand and witness daily the human costs of the U.S. War Machine.

Don’t Bank on the Bomb: Don't Bank on the Bomb is a project from PAX supporting the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN) in efforts to stigmatize and outlaw nuclear weapons. Here, find a report with information on major weapons producers and their investors.

Books/ Articles/ Reports that are helpful or relevant to the campaign

The Merchants of Death Survive and Prosper: Outlines the dominant role played by U.S. corporations in the international arms trade.

Trump Is Turning the State Department into a Global Weapons Dealer: Article by CODEPINK’s Jodie Evans and Haley Pedersen on the Trump administration’s plan to turn State Department officials into sale-people for weapons corporations.  

The Job Opportunity Cost of War: A report published by Brown University's Watson Institute that finds federal spending on domestic programs in health care, education, clean energy and infrastructure creates more jobs, dollar for dollar, than military spending.

William Hartung, leading military analyst and director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy has written an extensive body of material over the years on U.S. wars and militarism and the role of weapons companies in fueling war. He also spoke at our Divestment Summit in October 2017, and you can view his speech here. Some of William Hartung’s Articles:

• War Pay: Another Good Year for Weapons Makers Is Guaranteed
• Corporate Patriots or War Profiteers?
• The American Way of War
• Your Money at War Everywhere
• How to Wield Influence and Sell Weaponry in Washington

War Comes Home: The 2014 report by the American Civil Liberties Union on the militarization of America’s police forces under such programs as the Pentagon’s 1033 program.  

Lockheed Martin: A global giant in supporting of Israeli war crimes: An article written by two CODEPINK team members about Lockheed Martin’s role in supplying much of the weapons and equipment used to sustain the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The Shadow World: A book by Andrew Feinstein, and a strong part of the formation of this campaign. The book provides an in-depth analysis of corruption, greed, and collusion inherent in global arms trade. The book also gives a comprehensive history of the global arms trade. Author Andrew Feinstein’s spoke in support of the Divest from the War Machine Summit, and you can view his speech here.

Project Indefensible: This is a book that unpacks and opposes the leading “myths” that sustain the global arms trade. This entire book is available free online.

The Empire’s Hustle: Why Anti-Trumpism Doesn’t Include Anti-War: An article written by Ajamu Baraka, Green Party vice-presidential campaign and Black Alliance for Peace founder (BAP is part of the Divest from the War Machine coalition) analyzes why progressive critique of the Trump administration lacks an anti-war perspective. You can also watch Ajamu Baraka’s speech from the Divest from the War Machine Summit here.

A Country Addicted to War: An article by historian Andrew Bacevich on America’s endless wars and the lack of a mainstream movement to oppose it.

A Global Security System, an Alternative to War” from World Beyond War is a report that provides a strong outline of the call for a demilitarized US from World Beyond War. This is a resource that can help shape the “What do we want instead?” narrative.

Major Danny Sjursen is a U.S. Army strategist and former history instructor at West Point. He served tours with reconnaissance units in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He has written a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War, Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge. Some of Danny Sjursen’s relevant articles:

• Three Administrations, One Standard Playbook
• Putting the "War" in the "War on Terror"
• War Making in the Age of the Imperial Presidency
• Embracing Our Inner Empire
• Whose Side Are You On?
• Fighting the War You Know (Even If It Won't Work)

Films

Shadow World: This is a documentary based on the book of the same name written by Andrew Feinstein. The film explores corruption, collusion, and greed in the global arms trade.