In his chapter on Stealth Imperialism, Chalmers Johnson notes that many of the outspoken champions of reducing the federal budget are “profligate when it comes to funding arms industries in their localities (91).” He cites former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who added $2.5 billion to the “defense budget for more F-22s and C-130s, which even the air force did not want (or need), “only because they were partly manufactured in Georgia (91).” This type of hypocrisy is quite common in Washington.
I’m sure the examples are almost limitless. Unfortunately, voters seem to do the same thing, voting for candidates who funnel money back into their district/states.