“Wars & Rumors of Wars”, AND…..Political Assassinations
From a geopolitical view:
What country has benefited the most from the “War on Terror” since September 11, 2001.
The “War on Terror” is generally considered to have begun after 9/11 in 2001. However, the broader context of conflict and Western intervention in the Middle East since 1948 is relevant.
The country that has benefited the most geopolitically and strategically is widely regarded to be Israel.
Here’s the analysis behind that conclusion:
- Strategic Alignment with the U.S.: The 9/11 attacks created a paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy. The U.S.’s new primary enemies became non-state terrorist organizations (Al-Qaeda, ISIS) and later, nation-states labeled as state sponsors of terror (Iraq, Iran, Syria). This aligned almost perfectly with Israel’s long-standing security framework and its list of regional adversaries.
Overnight, Israel’s conflicts were reframed from a regional ethnic-political struggle (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) to a front in the global war against terrorism for many in the West.
- Diminished Focus on the Palestinian Issue: Prior to 9/11, the Oslo Peace Process and the Palestinian quest for statehood were high on the international agenda.
The “War on Terror” shifted the world’s attention and diplomatic energy away from this issue. Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza could be more easily framed, justified, or excused internationally as part of a broader “counter-terrorism” effort.
- Neutralization of Regional Rivals: The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (2003) removed Israel’s most potent conventional military adversary, Saddam Hussein. This dramatically altered the balance of power in the region in favor of Israel and its other primary rival, Iran—though Iran’s subsequent influence in Iraq created a new challenge.
- Increased Military and Intelligence Cooperation: Israel, with its extensive experience dealing with terrorist threats, became a valued partner and consultant for Western intelligence agencies and militaries. This boosted its diplomatic standing, its military-industrial complex (selling counter-terrorism technology and expertise), and its intelligence sharing.
- Iran’s Paradoxical Benefit: It is also argued that Iran benefited in the long term. The U.S. removal of the Taliban (an enemy of Iran) in Afghanistan in 2001 and Saddam Hussein (a mortal enemy of Iran) in 2003 eliminated two of the Islamic Republic’s biggest threats, allowing it to expand its influence across the region, particularly in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. However, this benefit came with intense pressure, sanctions, and the threat of conflict with the U.S. and Israel, so it is a more complex and contested “benefit”.
The financial ASPECTS, “All wars are Bankers Wars”.
Of course, this is a complex issue because the money isn’t spent in a single, simple “weapons manufacturing” bucket. It’s spread across research, development, procurement (buying the equipment), and maintenance, all within the larger Department of Defense (DoD) budget.
Here’s a breakdown of the spending since 9/11 (FY 2001 – FY 2023), with the most relevant figures.
Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. Department of Defense has spent over $14 trillion in total.
A significant portion of this—approximately $2.5 to $3 trillion—has been specifically allocated for the research, development, and procurement of new weapons and military equipment. This includes
everything from aircraft and ships to missiles, firearms, and communications gear.
Detailed Breakdown:
The key categories for weapons manufacturing are within the DoD’s Procurement and Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budgets.
- Procurement ($A): This is the budget for actually buying the finished equipment.
- Examples: F-35 fighter jets, Virginia-class submarines, missiles, tanks, rifles, and body armor.
- RDT&E ($B): This is the budget for designing, prototyping, and testing new weapons systems before they go into production.
- Examples: Developing the B-21 Raider bomber, hypersonic weapons, and next-generation combat vehicles.
Total Spending on Weapons & Equipment (FY 2002 – FY 2023)
The following figures are from the Department of Defense Comptroller and are adjusted for inflation (in constant FY 2023 dollars) to allow for an accurate year-to-year comparison.
Category Amount (Constant FY 2023 $) What it Covers
Total Procurement ~$4.07 Trillion Buying all equipment, vehicles, weapons, and systems.
Total RDT&E ~$2.66 Trillion Researching and developing new technology and weapons.
Combined Total ~$6.73 Trillion The total investment in new military capability. Important Note: The ~$6.73 trillion figure represents the total investment in new capability. However, a large portion of procurement spending is used to replace equipment worn out in combat or outdated by age, not just to expand the arsenal.
The Bigger Picture: War Funding:
The post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were funded largely through separate mechanisms called Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) budgets. This “war funding” was on top of the regular (base) DoD budget.
A substantial part of this OCO money was also spent on weapons and equipment, specifically to:
- Replace vehicles and aircraft destroyed in combat.
- Urgently buy equipment needed for counter-insurgency (e.g., MRAP armored vehicles).
- Supply weapons and ammunition to allied forces.
Total OCO Funding (2001-2022): Approximately $2.0 Trillion (in current dollars, not adjusted for inflation). A significant slice of this was for procurement and RDT&E.
Key Takeaways:
- Massive Scale: The amount spent on developing and buying military hardware since 9/11 is enormous, totaling well over $6 trillion.
- Beyond Manufacturing: The even larger ~$14 trillion total DoD spending also includes costs like military personnel salaries, healthcare, housing, training, fuel, and base maintenance.
- Driven by War: A primary driver of this spending was the immediate need to equip, sustain, and modernize the force for prolonged conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by a renewed focus on “great power competition” with nations like Russia and China.
In summary, while the exact dollar amount spent at the factory gate is not isolated in accounting, the U.S. has invested between $2.5 and $3 trillion in the direct manufacture and over $6.7 trillion in the overall development and acquisition of new weapons and military equipment since September 11, 2001.
Sources for Verification of data:
- Department of Defense Comptroller: Publishes annual “Green Book” budget data.
- Congressional Research Service (CRS): Reports like “The Defense Procurement Account: Budget, Trends, and Issues” and “Defense Primer: The Defense Acquisition System.”
- Brown University’s Costs of War Project: Tracks total war-related spending.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Analyzes defense budget trends.
The “Industrial” part of the “Military/Industrial Complex”:
I have included the image of Adolf Hitler on the cover of Time Magazine as their “Man of the Year” in 1938 because it’s an ironic part of our history in that our country and the rest of the world was supporting him. I know for a fact that many U. S. companies continued to conduct business with Hitler’s Germany throughout the entire war,
In 1938, a number of major American companies had business dealings with Germany through subsidiaries and investments, despite the known aggressive and anti-Semitic nature of the Nazi regime.
These corporations continued to operate in Germany, often adapting to the Nazi government’s policies to secure profits.
American companies with business dealings in Germany in 1938 included:
General Motors (GM): As the owner of Adam Opel AG, Germany’s largest automobile manufacturer, GM was an integral part of the German economy and military preparation.
In 1938, GM’s Opel subsidiary provided the Wehrmacht with Opel “Blitz” trucks, with military sales making up 29% of its truck output. The head of GM’s overseas operations was awarded the Order of the German Eagle by Hitler in 1938.
Ford Motor Company: A significant supplier of automobiles to Germany, Ford opened a new truck assembly plant in Berlin in 1938. U.S. Army Intelligence later reported that the plant’s purpose was to produce troop transport vehicles for the Wehrmacht.
Like his GM counterpart, Henry Ford was also honored with the Grand Cross of the German Eagle in 1938.
International Business Machines (IBM):Through its German subsidiary, Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen GmbH (Dehomag), IBM supplied Nazi Germany with punch-card technology that was used to conduct census data.
This technology was critical to the Nazi’s ability to identify and track “undesirable” people, such as Jews and other persecuted groups.
Standard Oil: Standard Oil and its subsidiaries provided Nazi Germany with petroleum products and the technology to create synthetic fuel from coal, a vital resource for the German military.
The company also provided the tetraethyl lead gasoline needed for the Luftwaffe’s aircraft. In 1938, Standard Oil of New Jersey’s major stockholders included German manufacturer IG Farben, a company deeply involved with the Nazi regime.
International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT): As early as 1933, ITT’s CEO met with Hitler. The company acquired a large stake in the German aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf, which produced fighter planes for the Luftwaffe. ITT continued to operate in Germany and other Axis-controlled territories, with its subsidiaries providing German forces with military communications equipment.
Eastman Kodak: Kodak’s European subsidiaries were active during this time. The German subsidiary, Kodak AG, produced not only film but also military materiel for the Nazi war machine. During the war, this subsidiary later used forced labor.
Other companies: Several other American companies maintained assets and business operations in Germany at the time. A U.S. State Department report from 1941 noted that major companies with investments included Alcoa, Chase Bank, Singer, International Harvester, Gillette, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Westinghouse, and United Fruit.
Conclusions:
We can see why we say “All Wars are Banker’s Wars”. Nothing has changed in over 100 years if you include WWI folks.
The proxy war in Ukraine, the endless supply of military equipment and aid to Israel, the latest threats of wars against countries like Venezuela, and potentially other Latin American countries. The recent attacks against Iran, and the continued discussions regarding China/Taiwan issue. $$$$$.
It’s about the almighty dollar and natural resources. Always has been, always will be, until people recognize that, “Wars and Rumors of Wars” will continue.
There IS something we all can do about it. How about for starters, if you have a stock portfolio that includes ANY military/industrial complex companies, DIVEST yourselves of those stocks. Buy Gold instead.
Political action: Replace the War Mongers with politicians who will stop the wars, vote against the wars, pass legislation that will reduce the number of military bases around the globe.
The United States currently has roughly 750 U.S. military bases in over 80 countries abroad and approximately 450 to 500 bases within the United States itself.
The exact numbers can vary depending on the definition of a base and whether all foreign sites are publicly accounted for by the Pentagon.
Our species has been at war, in some fashion or another, for over 2,600 years. Which encompasses the entire age called Pisces. If you do a search for Age of Pisces, the key words that pop up is, “The Age of Religions & Wars”. We are in the final stages of crossing the approximate 175-year threshold, into “The Age of Aquarius”, key words, the Age of Technology & Peace.
How about stop sending the hundreds of millions of our hard-earned tax dollars in military equipment and aid to Israel?
This is not a call to “Arms”, like on the evening of April 8th, 1775 when Paul Revere rode through the Province of Massachusetts Bay along with William Dawes and later, Dr. Samuel Prescott and others, warning everyone that the British were coming.
It’s a warning that if we don’t make radical changes to how we are governed, and how we interact with the rest of the world, it will not end well, for not just the United States, but for ALL of us living on our planet.
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