The True Cost of the Military-Industrial Complex
Videos
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Economics, Civics
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Provided by Our Changing Climate
What it is
- This video is about the environmental impacts caused by the United States military-industrial complex.
- Students will learn about the environmental and social hazards of a bloated military.
- The video concludes that demilitarization is the only sustainable option and that war is always an environmental hazard.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The video discusses the environmental impacts of war, including chemical waste and emissions caused by fuel for machines of war.
- It includes an analysis of imperialism and potential justifications for war.
- The video description contains links to other resources for further reading.
Additional Prerequisites
- The video begins with an ad.
- The video's content ends at 8:20 and is followed by a sponsored ad.
- The video concludes that military decisions prioritize profit and control over peace and safety, which may be sensitive topics for students with family members who served in the military.
Differentiation
- History classes could review the military conflicts mentioned in the video, including Panama (1989), Chile (1973), East Timor (1975), and Iraq (2003).
- Students could write alternative budget proposals that divert money away from the military and toward environmentally and socially focused policies.
- A resource related to this topic is this video on the way that the United States' greed for oil contributes to climate change.
From the scientist review
This resource highlights the environmental cost of the United States Military. While it does editorialize towards the end of the video, the data provided is accurate. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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