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Military-industrial complex

The phrase “military-industrial complex” was coined by President Eisenhower in his farewell address to the nation in 19611. In this address, Eisenhower spoke of the deterrence value of military strength:

A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.

Simultaneously, he warned of the potential danger in the growing relationship between the military establishment and the defense industry:

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

The phrase “military-industrial complex” describes the intertwined relationship between the military establishment and the defense industry that emerged during the Cold War. This relationship was and is characterized by mutually-reinforced growth. The defense industry relies on the military for contracts and the military relies on Congress for funding. Thus industry lobbying of Congress to maintain and increase defense spending grows the political and economic power of both military and industry.

The origins of the military-industrial complex can be traced back to the post-World War II period, when the United States emerged as a global superpower and faced a new threat in the form of the Soviet Union. The Cold War led to a massive expansion of the military establishment and the development of new technologies, including nuclear weapons, missiles, and advanced aircraft. During this period, the defense industry grew rapidly as companies such as Boeing, Lockheed, and General Dynamics competed for government contracts. The defense industry became a major contributor to the American economy, with billions of dollars in government contracts providing jobs across the country as well as profits for companies and their shareholders.

As the military establishment and the defense industry became increasingly intertwined, concerns began to emerge about the potential for corruption and the influence of the defense industry on government policy. Thus Eisenhower’s warning about the military-industrial complex:

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

In the decades since Eisenhower’s warning, the military-industrial complex has continued to evolve and expand. The phrase itself has become a useful2 shorthand for the entanglement of corporate interests with government and policy-making more broadly.

One of the most significant risks of this relationship is the potential for it to lead to the prioritization of corporate profit over public welfare, such as the lobbying of politicians by defense contractors to secure lucrative government contracts and the influence of defense industry executives on policy decisions related to national security and military spending.

Another criticism of the military-industrial complex is the impact it can have on the economy. While defense spending can create jobs and stimulate economic growth in certain industries, it can also divert resources away from other sectors of the economy, leading to a lack of investment in areas such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Additionally, the reliance on military spending as a source of economic growth can lead to a dangerous cycle of increasing defense spending to maintain economic stability, even when it is not necessary for national security.

The military-industrial complex can also contribute to a culture of militarism, where the solution to problems is seen as being a military one. This can lead to the neglect of non-military solutions to problems and the proliferation of militarized conflict, which can have devastating consequences both domestically and abroad.

One of the key arguments in favor of the military-industrial complex is that it can lead to technological innovation and progress. Military-funded research and innovations are very often applied to other areas of society, such as healthcare or transportation. Much of this research may not have been conducted without military funding. Eisenhower noted this fact as well, and included it as yet another risk of the military-industrial complex:

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been over shadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity.

The United States has the most powerful military in the world, a fact that is extremely valuable to our nation and allies. It is an invaluable deterrent against potential aggressors, it puts weight behind NATO, it ensures freedom of navigation in international waters and airspace, it backs up our diplomatic efforts and our leaders’ words. Yet the influence of the military-industrial complex on our nation’s priorities and policymaking cannot be ignored, and Eisenhower’s speech is as relevant today as it was in 1961.

College interviewing tips

For several years I’ve been volunteering as an alumni interviewer for my alma mater. It’s enjoyable to spend a bit of time interacting with a younger generation and exploring their interests; my optimism is buoyed by their potential.

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Agile isn’t faster

A common misconception is that Agile development processes are faster. I’ve heard this from leaders as a justification for adopting Agile processes and read it in proposals as a supposed differentiator. It’s not true. Nothing about Agile magically enable teams to architect, engineer, design, test, or validate any faster.

In fact, many parts of Agile are actually slower. Time spent on PI planning, backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand-ups1, and retrospectives is time the team isn’t developing. Much of that overhead is avoided in a Waterfall style where the development follows a set plan.

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“Diversity of thought” is the “all lives matter” of corporate inclusion efforts

For at least the last decade, engineering companies have talked a great deal about “diversity and inclusion”. Inevitably, many people1 have the takeaway that this means “diversity of thought”. This is like telling a Black Lives Matter supporter that “all lives matter”; of course all lives matter, but that’s completely missing the point2. Diversity of thought is important to avoid groupthink and promote innovation; but that’s not the point of diversity and inclusion efforts3.

Diversity and inclusion means making sure that teams are actually diverse, across a range of visible and not-visible features. Why does that matter?

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Agile SE Part Zero: Overview

“Agile” is the latest buzzword in systems engineering. It has a fair share of both adherents and detractors, not to mention a long list of companies offering to sell tools, training, and coaching. What has been lacking is a thoughtful discussion about when agile provides value, when it doesn’t, and how to adapt agile practices to be effective in complex systems engineering projects.

I don’t claim this to be the end-all guide on agile systems engineering, but hope it will at least spark some discussion. Please comment on the articles with details from your own experiences. If you’re interested in contributing or collaborating, please contact me at benjamin@engineeringforhumans.com, I’d love to add your voice to the site.

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Learn from the mistakes of others

The problem with being too busy to read is that you learn by experience… i.e. the hard way. By reading, you learn through others’ experiences, generally a better way to do business…

General James Mattis

The most successful people in any profession learn from the experiences of others. You can learn from their successes, sure. But don’t focus on doing things exactly they way they did, you’ll stifle your own innovation. Instead, understand their successes, extract relevant lessons, and forge your own path.

More importantly, learn from others’ failures and mistakes.

That’s why I publish a Reading / Listening List. As of the publishing of this article, 5 of the 6 recommendations are about poor engineering and design1. I find these stories fascinating, enlightening, and valuable. By avoiding the pitfalls of the past, we improve the likelihood of success in our own projects.

It’s okay to make mistakes, but strive to at least make original mistakes.

Board man gets paid

For years I’ve been advocating for the effective inclusion of human systems integration (HSI) in the systems engineering (SE) process. I had to address a persistent misunderstanding of what HSI is and how it relates to human factors; while that can be frustrating, I recognized that it wasn’t going to change overnight. Instead, I worked diligently to share my message with anyone who would listen.

Recently, my diligence paid off. I was contacted by a group putting together a proposal for a defense contract. The government’s request outlined their expectations for HSI as part of the systems engineering effort in a way that the proposal team hadn’t seen before. Someone on the team had heard me speak before, knew I had the right expertise they needed, and reached out to request my support.

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Diversity in engineering careers

I had the privilege to attend the Society of Women Engineers conference WE19 in Anaheim, CA last week. I left inspired and optimistic.

Speakers and panelists relayed their experiences over the previous decades. These women had been denied entrance into engineering schools, marginalized in the workplace, and forced to become ‘one of the guys’ to be accepted among their peers.

We’ve come a long way. It’s never been a better time to enter the workforce as a woman/person of color/LGBTQ/etc. Diversity in the workforce and leadership of engineering companies is on the rise, barriers are falling, and the value of diversity is being recognized. And yet, we still have so far to go.

We recognize that diversity is good for business 1 and companies are actively recruiting more diverse talent. Our organizational cultures are still adapting to this diversity. In many ways, we still expect all employees to conform to the existing culture, rather than proactively shape the inclusive culture we desire.

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Thoughts on “A Message to Garcia”

“A Message to Garcia” is a brief essay on the value of initiative and hard work written by Elbert Hubbard in 1898. It is often assigned in leadership courses, particularly in the military. Less often assigned but providing essential context is Col. Andrew Rowan’s first-person account of the mission, “How I Carried the Message to Garcia”.

There are also a number of opinion pieces archived in newspapers and posted on the internet both heralding and decrying the essay. There are a number of interpretations and potential lessons to be extracted from this story. It’s important that developing leaders find the valuable ideas.

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It’s time to get rid of specialty engineering: A criticism of the INCOSE Handbook

Chapter 10 of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook covers “Specialty Engineering”. Take a look at the table of contents below. It’s a hodge-podge of roles and skillsets with varying scope.

Table of contents for the Specialty Engineering section of the INCOSE handbook.
Table of contents for the Specialty Engineering section of the INCOSE handbook.

There doesn’t seem to be rhyme or reason to this list of items. Training Needs Analysis is a perfect example. There’s no doubt that it’s important, but it’s one rather specific task and not a field unto itself. If you’re going to include this activity, why not its siblings Manpower Analysis and Personnel Analysis?

On the other hand, some of the items in this chapter are supposedly “integral” to the engineering process. This is belied by the fact that they’re shunted into this separate chapter at the end of the handbook. In practice, too, they’re often organized into a separate specialty engineering group within a project.

This isn’t very effective.

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