In 1961, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the “unwarranted influence” of the military-industrial complex in the United States whereby a powerful union of defense contractors, the armed forces and policymakers might get control of national policy. Subsequent decades have seen his words of caution turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the US, the world’s largest military spender, continually increasing its military budget for the benefits of certain interest groups.

Now the US accounts for 40 percent of the world’s annual military spending, with its military budget — at around $820 billion in 2023 — larger than the next nine countries combined. That this “misplaced power” thrives on wars and regional tensions may explain why the US has been engaged in almost all conflicts and wars across the world over the past several decades.

The nexus forged by the government, legislature, military institutions and the weapons industry in the US makes the country a significant source of global tensions and conflict.

Yet despite the US having established nearly 800 foreign military bases in at least 80 countries and regions, and its 11........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)