Milwaukee-based artist Jacob Flom created a new graphic about drones. On his website, he writes: “The worlds largest corporation, General Electric (GE) invited me to submit work for their annual “Veteran Awareness Month” art show in their Fairfield, CT corporate headquarters. While they pay lip service to veterans, GE’s guidelines for the artwork is extremely restrictive. GE is only interested in representing stereotypes of patriotic veterans who are obedient advocates of the wars they served in.

While I was serving in the US Air Force during the height of the Iraq war in 2005, GE was raking in a $2.2 Billion/yr contract with the Department of Defense and a $4.7 Billion tax break. While I paid for US wars through taxes on my poverty wages as an Airman First Class, GE paid no taxes and made billions off US wars and occupations. GE currently produces drone technology, as well as engines for military jets and helicopters used by the US and Israel in their occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and interventions in Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia, among others.

This piece created for “Veteran Awareness Month” shows a new type of awareness. Veterans are increasingly aware that they are fighting for corporate profits, veterans know the horrors of US wars and occupations, and demand an end to tax breaks, defense contracts, and wars that only serve GE and the rest of the 1%.”