The US Has Spent $21 Trillion on the Military Since 9/11
By
Luke Savage
The cost of the War on Terror and its catastrophic consequences at home and abroad are staggering: $21 trillion, according to a new report. Imagine what we could do with that money if we used it for human needs rather than killing people abroad.
Earlier this week, at a press conference marking the end of the war in Afghanistan, Joe Biden delivered what is arguably the most encouraging remark of his presidency to date: “This decision about Afghanistan,” said Biden, “is not just about Afghanistan. It’s about ending an era of major military operations to remake other countries.” Given Biden’s own history, of course, there are good reasons to be skeptical about the sincerity of these words — and, fittingly enough, plenty of the standard imperial liturgy could be found amid his defense of the withdrawal.
Nevertheless, even as the administration officially pitches a shift away from the logic that has guided America’s foreign policy since 9/11, the toxic residue of the “war on terror” is almost certain to linger. Representing a new, destructive, and bloody paradigm in the history of US power, the last two decades have seen a growing culture of militarization that is arguably unprecedented.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/09/us-military-foreign-policy-war-on-terror-institute-for-policy-studies-report
