US Hits Quarter-Century 'War on Terror' Milestone, Celebrates Unaccountable Billions
Twenty-five years of the 'War on Terror' sounds like a milestone for sober reflection. But what the mainstream narrative often brushes past are the beneficiaries. While think tanks, like the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) – which lists defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon among its top donors, according to Opensecrets.org – champion robust military spending as 'national
security,' the human and financial costs balloon. The '$8 trillion and counting' figure cited by Brown University's Costs of War project (2023) barely registers against the quarterly earnings calls celebrating record arms sales. This isn't about 'terrorism' or 'freedom.' It's about a profitable, self-perpetuating cycle where 'threats' are amplified, campaigns are launched, and the same
corporations and lobbyists (many of whom, like AIPAC, push for interventions abroad while showering politicians with cash) reap massive rewards. Remember, the 'War on Terror' wasn't just about Afghanistan; it became a global venture, expanding US military footprints and arms sales to countless nations, often under the guise of combating nebulous extremism. The Pentagon's 2023 budget alone topped
$886 billion—a sum that could fund climate solutions, universal healthcare, or education for generations. But where's the profit in that?