In the Democratic presidential debates of April 26, 2007, former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel said, "The military industrial complex not only controls our government lock stock and barrel, but they control our culture." Indeed, my visit to the set of the upcoming Transformers movie was a transparent affirmation of this statement.
August 26, 2006 (Los Angeles): The presence of the military at the location could not be missed: before my shuttle bus even pulled up to the site at 9th and Broadway Streets, I could see several actual U.S. troops in desert camouflage fatigues walking in an ally parallel to Broadway. (For a split second, I wondered if L.A. was under martial law.) The block of Broadway between 9th and 8th had been transformed into a battle zone populated by U.S. troops, many attending armed vehicles. This was a stark contrast to the many peace marches I had attended on this same spot.
Full Story: Transformers: Recruiters in Disguise by Ross Plesset
Recruiters in Disguise: Hollywood Promotes War