It has been half a century since President Eisenhower warned the American people about the Military-Industrial Complex. However, it would appear that the American people decided not to heed that warning. Since this time we have seen a rise in arms dealing around the world, lead by the United States, and an ever-growing appetite for conflict lead by neoconservatives and an interventionist mindset held by both major parties.

So where do we find ourselves now in regards to military spending in the United States and around the world? The United States has found itself outspending the rest of the world in defense spending by an astronomical amount. The United States spends about 700 billion dollars a year on defense to maintain a global empire. This absurd amount is more than the next 14 countries on the list combined

Military spending is big business in the United States. Since 9/11, the United States has spent 3.3 trillion dollars on private defense contracts alone. The biggest war profiteers are Boeing (23.5 billion), Lockhead Martin (22.5 billion), Raytheon (11.4 billion), General Dynamics (11.3 billion) and United Technologies (6.3 billion). Now like any good business the idea is to maintain profits. However, these businesses main products are weapons and other systems designed to maximize efficiency on the battlefield.

If you read these numbers and shrug it off, more power to you. However, something to think about is the perpetual state of war we have entered. We have left Iraq; have a tentative withdrawal date in Afghanistan, but what about Syria and Iran? War profiteers lobby for armed conflict. Profits are what concern these individuals who make billions off the deaths of Americans and foreigners alike. War is how these CEO’s who lobby for conflict eat.

Americans have become desensitized to war by the media, Hollywood and political elites. We hide behind brainless mantras like “protect this country”, “fight for freedom”, and “support our troops.” We are so disengaged that we don’t care about killer robots reining terror from the skies upon innocent people in far off lands. We remain ignorant to the fact that our “war on terror” can never be won. How can you win a war against an abstract concept? How can you win a war against an idea? This kind of ignorance, this kind of nonchalant attitude towards violence is exactly what keeps us in a perpetual state of war, spending billions of dollars on defense and lining the pockets of corporate warlords.