On Tuesday, May 13, the Wisconsin Defense Industry Council (WDIC) held their inaugural WDIC Annual Conference at The Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee. Inside the conference, defense contractors and lobbyists met to increase the defense industry’s footprint in Wisconsin. Outside, members of the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee, Peace Action Wisconsin, and other community organizations gathered in protest. At the same time, a coordinated disruption was planned inside the conference, where a die-in was staged, resulting in two arrests and several others escorted out. This action is part of an ongoing campaign to expose the WDIC’s role in expanding the war economy in Wisconsin.

The WDIC’s goal is to deepen the ties between Wisconsin's economy and the military industrial complex, and they aren’t alone in this endeavor. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce are the driving force behind this council under the banner of economic growth. But it is clear that economic growth for them means more weapons contracts and public tax dollars funneled into private hands.

The WDIC is what the war economy looks like in our backyard; wealthy executives meeting at a fancy hotel figuring out how to profit off of global violence. They use patriotic language and appeals to national defense to hide the reality of their work. Work rooted in death, surveillance, and displacement. They want more of our tax dollars for themselves. Money that could instead fund schools, hospitals, and housing. They care more about lining their pockets than helping those most vulnerable.

All across Wisconsin, people are suffering. Public schools are underfunded, many facing lead contamination. Hospitals are closing entire departments, including labor and delivery units. Housing costs continue to increase, and mental health services are under-resourced. Yet we are told time and time again that there isn’t enough money to help. But when it comes to the war machine, there is always money. Is this really the economy we want in Wisconsin? Does this really work for anyone but the rich elite? 

The protest on May 13 made it clear that the people of Wisconsin are watching and we won't be silent. We refuse to accept a future where our survival depends on manufacturing weapons used in conflicts around the world while our communities are left without clean water, medical care, or affordable housing. The WDIC, MMAC, and WMC are selling us a lie. True safety doesn’t come from bombs or border walls. It comes from strong communities. Communities with well funded schools, accessible healthcare, and affordable housing. We need systems that prioritize people over profit. We must choose a different future, one rooted in care not conflict, for Wisconsin.