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Comments on “Some Materials Concerning U.S. Military Production” (June 8–9, 1960) 1. This document [1] is hereby circulated for the reading of all comrades attending the Politburo meeting [2]. It is worthy of study. Why is the United States reluctant to disarm? The answer lies herein: it is the bourgeoisie, particularly the monopoly bourgeoisie, that requires a massive military apparatus and an extensive arsenal. Mao Zedong June 8 2. Dear Comrade Khrushchev [3]: I am sending you this document for your perusal; it merits serious attention. Have you already noted this issue? Mao Zedong June 9, 1960. Wishing you good health! Long live the eternal unity of our two countries! Printed from the manuscript.


 refer to “Some Materials Concerning U.S. Military Production,” compiled by the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This material appeared in an internal publication issued on May 25, 1960, and reads as follows: 1. How many people are employed in the U.S. military sector? According to an estimate in Victor Perlo and Carl Marzani’s book Gold and the Disarmament Movement, in fiscal year 1960 the United States spent approximately $45.6 billion on military and other related expenditures, which would have employed about 6.44 million people. Some economic advisors affiliated with labor research associations, however, believe that departments concerned with “national security” actually employ as many as 37 million individuals, including 3.03 million in the arms and military construction industries and 2.5 million within the armed forces themselves. 2. To what extent do military procurements influence the U.S. economy? A report by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, entitled “Background Information on the Impact of Military Procurement and Supply on the Economy,” states that current major expenditures related to national security total $45.7 billion, accounting for roughly 58 percent of the federal budget and 9 percent of the nation’s gross national product, thereby constituting a “significant determining factor” in economic activity. Defense procurement exerts a major influence on the U.S. economy; in the aircraft manufacturing industry, 90 percent of output depends on government contracts, and the fifty largest U.S. corporations secure 65 percent of all major military contracts. [2] Refers to the enlarged meeting of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau to be held in Shanghai. The meeting took place from June 14 to 18, 1960. [ ] Nikita Khrushchev, then First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.