Fueling Militarism Doesn't Create Peace

The more that Washington feeds its appetite for militarism, the more arms races and wars we are liable to have.

Biden touted the passage of the military aid bill this week by saying that “it’s a good day for world peace, for real.” It was a strange thing for him to say, since most of the military aid that the U.S. is providing will fuel ongoing conflicts by design. The administration has no explanation for how funneling more weapons to belligerents will bring peace in the near or the long term, and the president didn’t even try to offer one. The focus of the president’s remarks was, as always, congratulating the U.S. for its righteousness and celebrating the vote for more war.

To the extent that this bill contributes to Washington’s pursuit of dominance and intensifies its hunger for rivalry with other states, it strengthens all the political forces that threaten international peace and security now and in the years to come. The more that Washington feeds its appetite for militarism, the more arms races and wars we are liable to have.