Weapons manufacturers profit from war and NATO expansion, lobbying Congress and giving political donations to legislators, creating a conflict of interest that drives the military-industrial complex.
The Pentagon budget, structured to fight two medium-sized wars simultaneously, costs as much as preparing to fight the Soviet Union, with weapons manufacturers profiting from increasingly lethal weapons.
The US, with 5% of the world’s population, maintains 800 military bases globally to control world affairs, diverting resources from housing, education, and childcare.
Smedley Butler, the most decorated US Marine in WWI, exposed the military as a racketeer for capitalism, helping American interests in various countries but was maligned for telling the truth.
The Eisenhower Media Network, a group of retired military leaders, took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine, stating the US provoked the war.
US policy of full spectrum dominance and maintaining hegemony dictates that any country developing to the US level is an enemy, justifying global military presence.
NATO expansion eastward, breaking promises made to Russia at the end of the Cold War, provoked the Ukraine war, with the US ignoring Russia’s requests to negotiate.
Retired military officers often join defense contractors whose contracts they supervised, creating a conflict of interest that would be illegal in publicly held corporations.
Politicians compete to raise the Pentagon budget to appear strong on defense, making it the one area of bipartisan agreement in Congress.
Studies show a disconnect between US government actions and public priorities, with elites and wealthy corporations’ interests aligning more closely with government actions.
Ben Cohen advocates for a ceasefire in Ukraine, questioning why a negotiated settlement can’t be reached without further loss of life.
The US spends trillions on the military, while a fraction of that could fund hospitals, schools, and social programs that people actually want and need.
