Meanwhile, United States military spending has soared to staggering and unsustainable highs. It now greatly exceeds the $356 billion that Congress appropriates for the State Department, development agencies, and humanitarian aid combined. The new wave of rapid expansion began in earnest during the Bush administration following the 9/11 attacks. It’s definitely lasted into this new decade during this age where the U.S. is trying to counter the rise and influence of China, which has set itself up as America’s main rival of the 21st century.
It’s no surprise then that recent reports indicate U.S. military spending will exceed $535 billion dollars. This bonanza will primarily profit the biggest arms merchants, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The financial windfall further enriches a military tech sector that’s expanding by leaps and bounds. This is one area that has deep connections to other powerful actors in the administration, including JD Vance. Specifically, private firms have been the beneficiaries of around 54% of the Department of Defense’s discretionary spending, over $4.4 trillion.
When the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan in September 2021, many hoped we would receive a peace dividend. One area has bucked the trend, and that’s military spending. President Biden has asked for increasing annual budgets for the Pentagon. So far, Congress has largely approved this request – sticking to the same trajectory for increases as established by former President Trump.
Here’s why those numbers matter, according to William D Hartung, an expert on military spending.
“High Pentagon budgets are often justified because the funds are ‘for the troops’,” – William D Hartung
To his credit, he noted that the lion’s share of these budgets are being funneled into corporate contracts. These dollars don’t go directly to service members. Kenny Hartung highlighted that much of this funding has been squandered. He further pointed out that it has been spent on misfiring or overpriced weapons systems and ballooning compensation packages.
As the report shows, the militarization of our economies is the growing order of the day. The Trump administration previously slashed funding for aid programs, including democracy promotion initiatives, further prioritizing military expenditure over diplomatic efforts.
As military spending has increased, so has helped fuel unprecedented foreign arms transfers to countries like Israel and Ukraine. Supporters of military spending claim that such expenditures are necessary to protect our national security interests. Critics have warned that this new financial commitment takes dollars away from more urgent domestic priorities.
“The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in September 2021 did not result in a peace dividend. Instead, President Biden requested, and Congress authorized, even higher annual budgets for the Pentagon, and President Trump is continuing that same trajectory of escalating military budgets.”
Stephanie Savell, a researcher focused on defense spending, pointed out the implications for taxpayers:
First, defense priorities are already pushing out areas that require urgent attention—like humanitarian assistance and emergency development aid.
“These figures represent a continuing and massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to fund war and weapons manufacturing.” – Stephanie Savell
The ongoing rise in military funding reflects a larger trend where defense priorities overshadow other critical areas such as humanitarian assistance and development aid.