[puredemo]

Most think tanks are very politically charged. Members aren't supposed to do original research, rather they are tasked with penning opinions that align with and justify predetermined political positions.

Secondly, your post overall just doesn't ring true to me. If the pentagon is really this keen on hiring the best and the brightest, wouldn't we have made great strides towards, say, ending our dependence on foreign oil?

There are too many examples like the above for me to believe that the pentagon is at all effective in preparing for the future. If they were, the financial meltdown wouldn't have happened, we wouldn't continue to subsidize corn like we do, we would be moving towards massive subsidies for sustainable farming, the Ogallala Aquifer wouldn't be getting empty, and so on.

[starkfist]

The DoD/Pentagon has nothing to do with farming subsidies or the subprime crisis or inventing new energy sources.

[jarek]

In other words, they figure out how to invade countries, not why.

[puredemo]

Point still stands. Most wars are related to resources, in one way or another. We tend to squander our resources.

The DoD may not have direct control but they do have some influence, even if only indirect.