Armed cow

I said cash cows kill courage and innovation in media. John Robb says it’s true for defense, as well:

Everything Jeff Jarvis says here applies to the US DoD. The systems that bring in the big bucks are nearly useless in our current security environment yet they suck up the majority of funding. Unfortunately, those big budget programs are also the source of power in the Pentagon.

In what other industries and segments of society is it true that the cash cow kills change?