Modern war is not about truth. It is about power and profit: Edward Said

Ironically, war is the most stable economy and political strategy in a world with democratic principles, global institutions, and human rights declarations. From Ukraine to Gaza, Iran, Sudan to Syria, and proxy wars in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific, the world is becoming red. Modern nations, armament manufacturers, and political elites are increasingly enmeshed in a profit-driven war ecosystem, which is more unsettling than unresolved conflicts.

War is a Business Model not a Tragedy - War is no longer merely a human tragedy but it has evolved into a calculated business model where profits, power, political survival and dominance are prioritised over peace. As per SIPRI's 2025 study, global military spending reached a record $2.718 trillion in 2024, up 9.4% from 2023, the greatest increase since the Cold War. Whereas NATO members spent $1.506 trillion, 55% of global spending, with 18 of 32 nations exceeding the 2% GDP defence threshold for the first time. Military spending is dominated by the US (63%) spent $877 billion, China $314, Russia $149 billion (+38%), 7.1% of GDP; Germany $88.5 billion (+28%); India: $86.1 billion (+1.6%),and Poland $38 billion (+31%) military budgets  (CNBC). West Asia military spending surged 15% to $243 billion. Israel's budget rose 65% to $46.5 to $149 billion (8.8% of GDP), the highest growth since 1967. Iran's budget fell 10% to $7.9 billion due to economic sanctions. (The Jerusalem Post).

See the 2 Charts below

The arms industry drives this spending rise. The top 100 arms corporations sold $597 billion in guns in 2022 (SIPRI), boosting profits despite a global slowdown. Top companies Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BAE Systems, and Rosoboronexport benefit from war. The top 10 2023 guns exporters by estimated export value (USD billions) are shown in this horizontal chart. The US dominates, followed by Russia and France (SIPRI, Statista).

These two graphs show that military expenditure and arms exports are now economic and political strategies, not merely defence measures. Countries that dominate these areas prepare for and profit from war. In this global war economy, guns, government, and greed are intertwined, making peace unprofitable and conflict money.

The Political Warfare Complex - Military budgets rise alongside authoritarianism and electoral instability for a reason. Leaders increasingly use external wars or internal repression to hide domestic policy failures. War and hyper-nationalism dull citizen resentment in democracies. The easiest diversion for Global North and South leaders facing economic downturns, electoral upheaval, or popular backlash is a security threat, real or imagined (Rand). The 2003 Iraq War, based on faulty intelligence, cost $2 trillion and killed over 300,000 civilians (Reuters). Today, the Russia-Ukraine war has displaced 14 million people and killed approximately 500,000 combatants while billions are spent on weapons rather than peace (Brookings).

The Veil of Democracy - In modern democracies, people are increasingly used as instruments to maintain governing institutions. Defence firms fund think tanks that influence national policy, while retired generals join defence boards or legislatures. It is well known that political power and weapon manufacture are linked. Military spending in India reached ₹6.2 lakh crore in 2023-24 (The Hindu), despite neglecting basic needs like education, healthcare, and unemployment. The term "national security" is used to avoid accountability and centralise power.  Digital warfare and monitoring are used to repress dissent, label activists anti-national, and militarise police. Uniforms and algorithmic messaging have blurred the line between democracy and dictatorship.

The Real Casualties - Citizens are not merely victims of economic circumstances; they are casualties of existence itself. They finance the conflict via taxation, endure inflation resulting from disrupted global supply chains, and countless individuals engage in and perish in wars that they neither comprehend nor support. Currently, more than 123 million individuals are compelled to leave their homes globally as a result of conflict and violence (UNHCR, 2024). As a result of the acceptance, normalisation, and praise that is given to weapons, warring governments and military greed, they flourish. In place of defence, war becomes a source of distraction, power, and dividend.

What Needs Urgent Thinking - The need for immediate consideration lies in the fact that lobbying and ethical norms have the potential to differentiate politics from the arms business. To ensure that the spending of the military does not obscure the advancement of humanity, it should be audited openly. Diplomacy for peacebuilding should be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a form of charity. When it comes to war mongering and opportunistic militarism, political leaders ought to be held accountable for their actions. Increase the power of civil society in order to combat the militarisation of both society and government.

War is not an inevitability; rather, it is a choice - When democracies embrace the traits of war economies and view peace as a sign of weakness, we need to question not about those who benefit from war, but rather about those who continue to engage in it. Not only does it include safety, but it also includes power, contracts, careers, and control. 

In the 21st century, our ability to remain silent is equivalent to complicity. In the event that we do not address this relationship, it is possible that we will soon be participating in democracies that operate as empires, experiencing tranquilly only in the midst of conflicts and never in the absence of them.

(The author is an Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), Hyderabad, India. Views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at  afrozjamia@gmail.com dafroz@manuu.edu.in  X Follow-@khwajaAfrozSidd   )