If there is one thing that all US military contractors can agree on, at any time, under any circumstances, it’s that the US military budget, even when it is at record highs, isn’t nearly big enough. Over the last decade and a half, this centered on ever-escalating US occupations abroad against Islamist factions.

Now it’s Russia’s turn to be the excuse, and contractors couldn’t be happier, with many openly talking about the new acrimony toward Russia as an “historic opportunity,” one which could see even more out-of-control spending, and record profits for arms makers.

While active military personnel predict “imminent” Russian invasions of Eastern Europe, keen to get bigger budgets and more deployments into Europe, their retired counterparts, now board members of key arms makers and lobbyists for the contractor industry in general, are looking to really cash in on that.

Most of the major arms makers are looking to up their exports to Europe, and fear-mongering about Russia is a great chance to sell those arms to NATO members. The real money, though, will always be at home, as the US dramatically outspends any other nation on military.

With the arms makers salivating over the money that could be made on the matter, Congressional leaders are pushing a bill that aims to make US hostility toward Russia a permanent fact through legislation, desperate to ensure that future governments, who don’t see the wisdom of throwing endless money at an unthinkable war, don’t get in the way of the money’s flow.