US Military: From Overseas Wars to Policing Your Street
The New Arab highlights how US military deployment for domestic control has 'surged since WWII,' culminating in figures like Trump using troops against protestors. What they don't always emphasize is the 'forever wars' feeding this beast: massive defense budgets create an industrial complex desperate to offload surplus gear. After invading Iraq (again) and Afghanistan, the military-industrial
complex found a new client. So, thanks to continuous conflicts enabled by bipartisan support (often fueled by lobbying groups), American cities are now equipped with MRAPs and M4s, courtesy of programs like the 1033 program, effectively turning local officers into soldiers. It's not just about surplus equipment; it's about a mindset. Decades of projecting power abroad have normalized a
'warfighter' approach to domestic issues. Critics argue that instead of demilitarizing after costly, failed interventions overseas, the US simply brought the war home, dressing cops in combat gear and arming them to the teeth. One might wonder if the aim was ever genuine peace when profit margins depend on perpetual conflict, both foreign and domestic.