War: The Most Profitable Racket Ever Devised - And You're Paying For It

How Your Tax Money Funds Engineered Conflicts, Enriches Banks and Weapons Manufacturers, and Keeps the Death Machine Running

Introduction: The Racket You Fund Without Knowing

Major General Smedley Butler, United States Marine Corps, wrote in 1935:

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives."

Butler was a decorated war hero - the most decorated Marine in U.S. history at the time. He led military campaigns. He saw war from the inside. And after retiring, he spent the rest of his life trying to expose what he'd learned:

War is a business. And it's the most profitable business on Earth.

Nearly 90 years later, nothing has changed. Except the scale. The profits are bigger. The deception is deeper. And the racket has perfected itself.

And you're funding it.

Every time you pay income tax, national insurance, VAT, council tax - a portion goes to feed the war machine. Not to "defend" you. Not to "keep you safe." But to enrich banks, weapons manufacturers, and reconstruction corporations through engineered conflicts designed to generate maximum profit.

This article will show you:

• How the war profit cycle actually works (6 stages of extraction)

• Where your tax money really goes (weapons, debt interest, reconstruction)

• Who really profits (banks, manufacturers, contractors - with specific numbers)

• How conflicts are deliberately engineered (proven historical examples)

• Why the cycle never ends (because it's designed not to)

• What this means for the morality of paying tax that funds it

By the end, you'll understand why war is not an unfortunate necessity, but a deliberate, profitable racket - and why your tax money is the fuel that keeps it running.

Let's expose the machine.

Part 1: The War Profit Cycle - How The Racket Works

War doesn't just happen. War is engineered. And the engineering follows a precise, profitable cycle that has been perfected over decades.

Here are the six stages of the war profit cycle:

Stage 1: Engineer the Conflict

Wars don't start spontaneously. They are manufactured through:

Media Propaganda

• Creating enemy narratives

• Demonizing leaders of target countries

• Exaggerating or fabricating threats

• Manufacturing consent for intervention

• 24/7 coverage building fear and outrage

Political Rhetoric

• "Weapons of mass destruction"

• "Humanitarian intervention"

• "Spreading democracy"

• "National security threat"

• "Our way of life under attack"

Intelligence Agency Operations

• Creating or amplifying incidents

• Funding opposition groups in target countries

• Orchestrating regime change attempts

• Manufacturing "evidence" of threats

• False flag operations

Economic Provocations

• Sanctions that cripple economies

• Creating desperation and instability

• Forcing countries into positions where conflict becomes likely

• Currency manipulation

• Resource access restrictions

Diplomatic Provocations

• Deliberate insults and escalations

• Backing opposing factions

• Military "exercises" near borders

• Breaking agreements

• Creating incidents

The conflicts between governments are often engineered - deliberate disagreements manufactured to justify military action.

Why engineer conflicts? Because war is phenomenally profitable. But only if you understand who profits and how.

Stage 2: Government Borrows Money for War

When war begins, governments don't pay for it from existing tax revenue. That would require raising taxes visibly, which is politically difficult.

Instead, they borrow.

From whom?

• Major banks (HSBC, Barclays, JPMorgan, etc.)

• Financial institutions

• Bond markets (selling government bonds)

• Central banks (creating money)

• International lenders (IMF, World Bank, etc.)

The debt created to fund wars is enormous:

United States:

• Iraq War: $2+ trillion in total costs

• Afghanistan War: $2+ trillion in total costs

• Combined: Over $6 trillion when including future obligations

• Interest on this debt: Paid forever

United Kingdom:

• Iraq and Afghanistan: £30+ billion direct costs

• Long-term costs: £100+ billion

• Interest: Ongoing, added to national debt

• Still paying interest on World War I and World War II debts

This is critical to understand:

Governments borrow money to fight wars, creating debt that taxpayers then pay interest on - forever.

You don't pay for the war when it happens. You pay interest on the debt for the rest of your life. Your children pay. Your grandchildren pay. The debt never ends.

Who lends this money?

The same financial institutions that profit from the debt interest you're already paying on the national debt.

War creates massive new debt, which creates massive new interest payments, which flow from your taxes to banks - forever.

Stage 3: Weapons Manufacturers Profit Enormously

The borrowed money goes to buy weapons. Lots of weapons.

Major weapons manufacturers:

United States:

• Lockheed Martin

• Raytheon Technologies

• Boeing Defense

• Northrop Grumman

• General Dynamics

United Kingdom:

• BAE Systems

• Rolls-Royce (defence division)

• Babcock International

• Qinetiq

International:

• Airbus Defence and Space

• Thales Group

• Leonardo S.p.A.

• Saab AB

What they sell to governments:

• Fighter jets: £100+ million each (F-35: £150+ million)

• Missiles: £1-5 million each

• Bombs: £20,000-£500,000 each

• Tanks: £5-8 million each

• Naval vessels: £500 million to £3+ billion each

• Drones: £5-20 million each

• Ammunition: Billions in contracts

• "Defence systems": Multi-billion contracts

The profit margins are extraordinary:

Why weapons are so profitable:

1. Cost-plus contracts: Government pays costs + guaranteed profit percentage

2. No competitive market: "National security" limits competition

3. Long-term contracts: Decades of guaranteed revenue

4. Maintenance contracts: Ongoing revenue after initial sale

5. Upgrades: Continuous revenue from modifications

6. Proprietary systems: Customers locked in (can't switch suppliers)

7. No accountability: Cost overruns are standard, paid by government

Example profits (2022/2023):

• Lockheed Martin: $66 billion revenue, $6.4 billion net profit

• Raytheon: $67 billion revenue, $5.2 billion profit

• BAE Systems: £23.3 billion revenue, £2.2 billion profit

• Northrop Grumman: $36.6 billion revenue, $4.4 billion profit

These are ANNUAL profits. From weapons. Paid for with borrowed government money. Creating debt that you pay interest on.

These companies make billions in profit from weapons that will be used to:

• Destroy cities and infrastructure

• Kill soldiers and civilians

• Create chaos and instability

• Generate refugee crises

• Require more weapons

• Justify more spending

And every penny of their profit comes from money the government borrowed - creating debt that you service through taxation for the rest of your life.

Stage 4: Banks Profit from the Debt Forever

The banks that lent the money to buy the weapons now collect interest.

Here's how this works:

1. Government borrows £100 billion for war

2. Pays weapons manufacturers

3. Manufacturers profit and shareholders get dividends

4. Banks collect interest on the £100 billion

5. Interest is paid from taxation

6. The debt is rarely paid down - just refinanced

7. Interest payments continue for decades

8. Often longer than the war itself

Real example:

United Kingdom:

• Still paying interest on debts from World War I (ended 1918)

• Still paying interest on debts from World War II (ended 1945)

• These wars ended 80-100+ years ago

• Still extracting wealth from current taxpayers

• Banks still profiting

The debt from current wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.) will follow the same pattern:

• Created 20+ years ago

• Will be paid for 80+ more years

• Your children and grandchildren will pay interest on wars they weren't alive for

• Banks will profit the entire time

This is the key to understanding the racket:

The banks profit from war without firing a shot. They lend money, governments wage war, weapons manufacturers profit, infrastructure is destroyed, and taxpayers pay interest forever.

Stage 5: War Creates Destruction (This Is Intentional)

The weapons purchased with borrowed money are used to create massive destruction:

What gets destroyed:

• Cities and towns

• Infrastructure (roads, bridges, power, water)

• Hospitals and schools

• Factories and businesses

• Communication systems

• Transportation networks

• Government buildings

• Entire economies

Recent examples:

Iraq:

• Electrical infrastructure destroyed

• Water treatment facilities destroyed

• Oil infrastructure damaged

• Government buildings destroyed

• Telecommunications destroyed

• Healthcare system collapsed

• Education system collapsed

Afghanistan:

• 20 years of infrastructure destruction

• Ongoing damage and instability

• Trillions spent destroying and rebuilding

• Country left in ruins

Libya:

• Advanced infrastructure destroyed

• Oil production disrupted

• Government collapsed

• Ongoing chaos and civil war

• Formerly prosperous country reduced to failed state

Syria:

• Half the country's infrastructure destroyed

• Millions displaced

• Cities reduced to rubble

• Ongoing conflict and destruction

This destruction serves multiple purposes:

1. Justifies continued weapon purchases: "We need more bombs, missiles, ammunition"

2. Creates refugee crises: Destabilizes neighboring regions, creates new conflicts

3. Destroys independent economies: Makes countries dependent on foreign aid

4. Eliminates competition: Removes economic competitors

5. Creates need for reconstruction: Leads to Stage 6

The destruction is not an unfortunate side effect. It's part of the profit model.

Stage 6: Reconstruction Corporations Profit from Rebuilding What Was Destroyed

After destroying a country's infrastructure with borrowed money, governments then borrow more money to rebuild it.

Who gets the reconstruction contracts?

Major reconstruction contractors:

United States:

• Halliburton / KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root)

• Bechtel

• Fluor Corporation

• DynCorp

• Washington Group International

• Parsons Corporation

United Kingdom:

• Amec Foster Wheeler

• Balfour Beatty

• Carillion (before collapse)

• Various international contractors

What they do:

• Rebuild infrastructure that was deliberately destroyed

• Receive no-bid contracts (no competition)

• Charge inflated prices (no market pressure)

• Use imported labor (not local workers)

• Take years longer than projected (no penalties)

• Go over budget routinely (government pays overruns)

• Profit enormously (guaranteed margins)

Example: Iraq Reconstruction

Halliburton/KBR:

• $39.5 billion in Iraq War-related revenue

• Multiple no-bid contracts

• Cost overruns standard

• Poor quality work documented

• Massive profits for shareholders

• Dick Cheney (former CEO) was Vice President during Iraq War

Bechtel:

• $2.3 billion in Iraq reconstruction contracts

• Significant cost overruns

• Many projects incomplete or poor quality

• Substantial profits extracted

The reconstruction phase:

• Uses borrowed money (banks profit again from new loans)

• Enriches corporations (guaranteed profit on rebuilding what was destroyed)

• Often uses materials from the country doing the reconstruction (double profit)

• Rarely benefits the local population

• Creates dependency on foreign corporations

• Locks in long-term contracts and influence

The Complete Cycle

Let's trace the complete profit cycle:

1. Engineer conflict through propaganda, provocation, false intelligence

2. Government borrows money from banks to fund war

3. Weapons manufacturers receive contracts, make billions in profit

4. Weapons used to destroy infrastructure and create chaos

5. Banks collect interest on war debt from taxpayers

6. Government borrows more money for reconstruction

7. Reconstruction corporations receive contracts, profit from rebuilding what was destroyed

8. Banks collect interest on reconstruction debt

9. Cycle repeats - instability justifies continued military presence and spending

Who profits at each stage:

• Banks: Profit from lending money for both destruction and reconstruction

• Weapons manufacturers: Profit from selling instruments of death

• Reconstruction corporations: Profit from rebuilding what was destroyed

• Shareholders: Receive dividends from all of the above

• Executives: Receive massive compensation

Who pays:

• You: Through taxation paying interest on all war debt forever

• Foreign civilians: In death, injury, and destruction

• Soldiers: In death, injury, trauma, and lost lives

• Local populations: In destroyed infrastructure and ongoing chaos

• Future generations: Inheriting the debt and its consequences

This is not a side effect. This is not poor planning. This is not inefficiency.

This is the business model. This is the racket. And it works exactly as designed.

Part 2: The Numbers - Where Your Tax Money Goes

Let's look at the actual numbers to understand the scale of extraction.

UK Defence Spending: £60 Billion Annually (and rising)

What this actually funds:

Current Military Operations:

• Active deployments

• NATO commitments

• Military bases worldwide

• Intelligence operations

• Equipment maintenance

• Personnel costs

Weapons Purchases:

• New aircraft carriers: £6+ billion

• F-35 fighter jets: £150+ million each

• Astute-class submarines: £1.5+ billion each

• Type 26 frigates: £1+ billion each

• Missiles, bombs, ammunition: Billions

• "Upgrades" and replacements: Billions

Long-term Contracts:

• Nuclear weapons program (Trident): £30+ billion over life

• Equipment maintenance: Multi-billion annually

• Technology development: Billions

• Private contractors: Billions

The Hidden Cost: War Debt Interest

Remember the £120 billion annual debt interest from our taxation article?

A significant portion of this is war debt interest:

• Interest on World War I debt (still paying)

• Interest on World War II debt (still paying)

• Interest on Falklands War debt

• Interest on Gulf War debt

• Interest on Iraq War debt

• Interest on Afghanistan War debt

• Interest on ongoing operations

This is ON TOP of the £60 billion "defence" budget.

The actual cost of war to taxpayers is:

• Current spending: £60 billion

• Past war debt interest: Tens of billions (hidden in general debt interest)

• Future obligations: Hundreds of billions locked in

Who Benefits: The Profit Breakdown

BAE Systems (UK's largest weapons manufacturer):

• Revenue: £23.3 billion (2022)

• Operating profit: £2.4 billion

• From UK government contracts: Billions

• From international contracts: Billions

• Executive pay: CEO £5+ million

• Shareholder dividends: Hundreds of millions

These profits come from:

• UK government contracts (your tax money)

• Borrowed money (creating debt you pay interest on)

• International contracts (often to repressive regimes)

Lockheed Martin (major UK supplier):

• F-35 program: UK buying 138+ aircraft

• Cost: £150+ million per aircraft = £20+ billion

• Profit margin: Substantial on each sale

• Maintenance contracts: Billions more

• Locked in for decades

Banks (lending money for war):

• Interest on UK war debt

• Interest on defence procurement financing

• Complex financial arrangements

• Ongoing profit from decades-old conflicts

Reconstruction Contractors:

• Often same companies as defence contractors

• Rebuild what weapons destroyed

• Charge premium prices

• Extract profit from both sides

The Iraq and Afghanistan Example

UK costs:

• Direct military costs: £30+ billion

• Long-term costs (care for veterans, equipment, interest): £100+ billion

• Total economic impact: £150+ billion estimated

Where did this money go?

To weapons manufacturers:

• Replacement equipment

• Ammunition and supplies

• New contracts for deployments

• Maintenance and upgrades

To banks:

• Interest on borrowed funds

• Financing arrangements

• Currency operations

To contractors:

• Halliburton/KBR (US but some UK involvement)

• Private security firms

• Logistics contractors

• Reconstruction firms

What did UK receive:

• Debts that will take generations to pay off

• Casualties and wounded veterans

• Ongoing obligations and costs

• No strategic benefit

• Creation of more instability (ISIS, etc.)

What did corporations receive:

• Billions in profit

• Shareholder dividends

• Executive bonuses

• Locked-in contracts

Your Personal Contribution

If you pay £10,000 in tax annually:

Approximately £2,000-3,000 goes to war-related spending:

• £600 direct "defence" budget

• £400-800 war debt interest (portion of overall debt interest)

• £400-600 veteran care, pensions, long-term costs

• £200-400 intelligence, security, related operations

Over a 40-year working life:

• £80,000-120,000 of your tax money goes to war

• Funds weapons that kill

• Pays interest on war debt

• Enriches manufacturers and banks

• Perpetuates the cycle

That's a significant new car every few years - given to the war machine.

Part 3: How Conflicts Are Engineered - Proven Examples

"But surely governments don't deliberately create wars for profit?"

This is the natural objection. It seems too cynical, too evil.

But let's look at the documented evidence.

Example 1: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - Vietnam War

What We Were Told:

• August 1964: North Vietnamese forces attacked US Navy ships in Gulf of Tonkin

• Unprovoked aggression

• Required military response

• Congress passed Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizing war

• Led to massive escalation of Vietnam War

\What We Now Know:

• First incident (August 2): Questionable, possibly provoked

• Second incident (August 4): Never happened

• NSA documents released in 2005 confirmed second attack was fabricated

• President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara knew at the time

• Used fabricated attack to justify war authorization

Result:

• Vietnam War: 58,000+ US military deaths, 2-3 million Vietnamese deaths

• War lasted 11 years

• Cost: Hundreds of billions (trillions in today's money)

Who Profited:

• Weapons manufacturers: Massive contracts

• Banks: Interest on war debt

• Defence contractors: Ongoing revenue for over a decade

Who Paid:

• Millions of lives

• Taxpayers funding war and paying interest for generations

Example 2: Iraq War - "Weapons of Mass Destruction"

What We Were Told:

• Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

• Imminent threat to UK, US, and allies

• Intelligence confirmed WMD programs

• Saddam Hussein connected to terrorism

• Military intervention necessary to prevent attack

What We Now Know:

• No WMDs were ever found

• Intelligence was "sexed up" (Dodgy Dossier, Downing Street Memo)

• Iraqi regime had no connection to 9/11 or Al-Qaeda

• Intelligence agencies had doubts that were suppressed

• Case for war was deliberately exaggerated

Key Evidence:

Dodgy Dossier (September 2002):

• UK government intelligence dossier on Iraq

• Later revealed to be plagiarized from academic papers

• Exaggerated and fabricated claims

• 45-minute claim (weapons ready in 45 minutes) was false

Downing Street Memo (2002):

• Secret UK government memo

• Stated "intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy"

• Revealed decision to go to war was made regardless of evidence

David Kelly Affair:

• Dr. David Kelly, UK weapons inspector, questioned WMD claims

• Found dead in suspicious circumstances

• Had told BBC that claims were exaggerated

Result:

• Iraq War: Hundreds of thousands dead

• Country destroyed

• Ongoing chaos and instability

• Rise of ISIS

• Refugee crisis

• Regional destabilization

Cost:

• US: $2+ trillion

• UK: £30+ billion direct, £100+ billion total

• Interest payments: Ongoing for generations

Who Profited:

Halliburton/KBR:

• $39.5 billion in contracts

• No-bid contracts

• Dick Cheney (former CEO) was Vice President

Weapons Manufacturers:

• Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BAE Systems, etc.

• Billions in weapons sales

• Replacement equipment

• Long-term contracts

Banks:

• Interest on war debt

• Financing arrangements

• Ongoing profit

Oil Companies:

• Access to Iraqi oil fields

• Long-term extraction contracts

Example 3: Libya - "Humanitarian Intervention"

What We Were Told:

• Gaddafi massacring civilians

• Humanitarian intervention necessary

• Responsibility to protect

• No-fly zone to prevent atrocities

• Quick, limited operation

What Actually Happened:

• Regime change operation (not humanitarian)

• No-fly zone became bombing campaign

• Gaddafi killed

• Country descended into chaos

• Now a failed state with slave markets

• Refugee crisis created

• Regional instability

Before Intervention:

• Libya had highest standard of living in Africa

• Free healthcare and education

• Infrastructure development

• No national debt

• Gold-backed currency planned (threatening dollar hegemony)

After Intervention:

• Ongoing civil war

• Collapsed economy

• Infrastructure destroyed

• Slave markets operating

• Refugee crisis

• Terrorism and instability

Who Profited:

• Weapons manufacturers (missile strikes, aircraft operations)

• Banks (financing operations)

• Oil companies (access to Libyan oil)

Who Paid:

• Libyan people (death, destruction, ongoing chaos)

• European taxpayers (funding intervention)

• European countries (refugee crisis)

Example 4: Syria - Ongoing Proxy War

Official Narrative (varying over time):

• Assad is a dictator (true, but so are many US/UK allies)

• Chemical weapons use (some confirmed, some disputed)

• ISIS threat (but intervention often helped ISIS)

• Humanitarian concerns

• Democracy promotion

Reality:

• Proxy war between regional and international powers

• Regime change attempt

• Pipeline politics (competing gas pipeline routes)

• Geopolitical positioning

• Multiple factions funded by different countries

Result:

• Hundreds of thousands dead

• Half the population displaced

• Infrastructure destroyed

• Ongoing chaos

• No clear outcome

• Massive suffering

Who Profited:

• Weapons manufacturers (both sides buying weapons)

• Banks (financing multiple parties)

• Private military contractors

• Regional powers pursuing interests

The Pattern Across All Manufactured Conflicts

Every engineered conflict follows similar steps:

1. Preparation Phase:

• Media begins negative coverage of target

• Intelligence agencies provide "concerning" reports

• Think tanks produce papers on "threats"

• Politicians begin rhetoric

• Public opinion shaped

2. Incident or Crisis:

• Real event (exaggerated)

• False flag event

• Fabricated event

• "Intelligence" of imminent threat

3. Call to Action:

• "We must act"

• "Imminent threat"

• "Moral imperative"

• "Our security at stake"

4. Rush to War:

• Limited debate allowed

• Dissenters marginalized

• "No time" for thorough investigation

• Authorization rushed through

5. War Begins:

• Borrowing begins

• Contracts awarded

• Weapons flow

• Destruction starts

6. Profit Extraction:

• Manufacturers profit

• Banks profit

• Contractors profit

• Shareholders enriched

7. Truth Emerges (Years Later):

• Initial justification false

• Evidence fabricated or exaggerated

• Real motives revealed

• But war continues anyway

8. No Accountability:

• No prosecutions

• No refunds

• No apologies

• Same pattern repeats with next war

Part 4: The Revolving Door - Why This Continues

How does this system persist? Why doesn't voting change it?

Because the people making decisions about war are the same people who profit from war.

The Revolving Door Mechanism

From Government to War Industry:

Pattern:

• Serve in government defence/military positions

• Make decisions benefiting certain companies

• Retire or leave government

• Immediately join boards/executive positions at those companies

• Receive massive compensation

Examples:

Dick Cheney (US, but illustrative):

• Secretary of Defence (1989-1993)

• CEO of Halliburton (1995-2000)

• Vice President (2001-2009)

• Halliburton received $39.5 billion in Iraq contracts during his Vice Presidency

• Clear conflict of interest, no prosecution

UK Examples:

• Numerous former Defence Secretaries join defence contractor boards

• Former military generals become consultants to weapons manufacturers

• Former civil servants join companies they previously regulated

• Revolving door between MoD and BAE Systems well-documented

From War Industry to Government:

Pattern:

• Work as executive in defence industry

• Move to government "advisory" or policy position

• Advocate for policies benefiting former employers

• Return to industry with enhanced connections

The Lobbying Industry

Defence Lobby Spending (US example):

• Lockheed Martin: $12+ million annually on lobbying

• Raytheon: $7+ million annually

• BAE Systems: Millions in UK and international lobbying

• Total defence industry: Over $100 million annually in US alone

What this buys:

• Access to politicians

• Influence over defence policy

• Advocacy for increased military spending

• Contracts directed to specific companies

• Blocking of reforms or oversight

Political Donations

Defence contractors donate to:

• Both major parties (ensuring influence regardless of election outcome)

• Key committee members

• Defence spokespersons

• Politicians in key constituencies

Result:

• Both parties support military spending

• "Defence" is bipartisan

• No real opposition to war budgets

• System continues regardless of elections

Think Tanks and "Expert" Influence

Defence industry funds:

• Think tanks producing pro-war "research"

• "Security experts" advocating for intervention

• Media commentators promoting military spending

• Academic programs shaping future policy makers

These "independent" voices are funded by the industry they support.

Media Ownership and Influence

Defence contractors advertise heavily in major media:

• TV advertising during news programs

• Print advertising in newspapers

• Sponsorship of programs and events

Result:

• Media reluctant to criticize major advertisers

• Pro-war voices given platforms

• Anti-war voices marginalized

• "Experts" with industry ties presented as neutral

Why Voting Doesn't Change This

Both major parties:

• Receive defence industry donations

• Have politicians with industry connections

• Support military spending

• Advocate for "strong defence"

• Approve war budgets

• Face same lobby pressure

The structure continues regardless of which party is "in power":

• Same contractors receive contracts

• Same lobbying occurs

• Same revolving door operates

• Same media influence continues

• Same wars continue or new ones begin

This is why Iraq War had bipartisan support. This is why Afghanistan continued under different administrations. This is why Libya was supported across parties. This is why Syria intervention was advocated by both sides.

The war machine doesn't care about partisan politics. It owns both sides.

Part 5: The Moral Reckoning

We've established:

1. Wars are often engineered - conflicts deliberately manufactured through propaganda, false intelligence, and provocation

2. Wars are funded through debt - borrowed money creating eternal interest payments

3. Weapons manufacturers profit enormously - guaranteed margins on instruments of death

4. Banks profit from war loans - interest paid by taxpayers forever

5. Destruction is intentional - creates reconstruction opportunities

6. Reconstruction corporations profit - rebuilding what was deliberately destroyed

7. The revolving door ensures continuation - same people profit in government and industry

8. Voting doesn't change it - both parties captured by industry

Now we must face the moral question:

If your tax money funds this system - engineers conflicts, kills millions, enriches banks and corporations, creates eternal debt - can paying it possibly be moral?

The Standard Objections

"But we need defence!"

Response:

• Defence and engineered wars for profit are completely different

• Defending against actual threats is legitimate

• Manufacturing threats to justify spending is not

• The elite who profit don't send their children to fight

• If these wars were genuine defence, they wouldn't need to lie about the reasons

"But what about soldiers?"

Response:

• Soldiers are victims of this system, not beneficiaries

• They're told they're defending the nation

• They're actually advancing corporate interests

• They die or are traumatized for bank and manufacturer profits

• Genuinely supporting soldiers means stopping the wars that destroy them

"But terrorism!"

Response:

• Western interventions created most current terrorist groups

• ISIS arose from Iraq War chaos

• Al-Qaeda grew from Afghan conflicts

• Bombing countries creates terrorists, doesn't eliminate them

• The "war on terror" is endless by design - because it's profitable

"But we have to do something about dictators!"

Response:

• Selective outrage - many dictators are allies (Saudi Arabia, etc.)

• Interventions often make situations worse (Libya, Iraq)

• Real motives are resources and geopolitical control, not humanitarian

• The people making this argument profit from the wars

• If it were genuinely about human rights, we'd intervene everywhere, not selectively

The Moral Framework

To determine if funding the war machine is moral, ask:

1. Is it based on truth?

• Wars often justified through lies (WMDs, Gulf of Tonkin, etc.)

• Real motives concealed (profit, resources, control)

• Public deliberately deceived

• Based on deception

2. Does it serve the stated purpose?

• Claimed: Defence, security, humanitarian concerns

• Reality: Corporate profits, geopolitical control, resource extraction

• Does not serve stated purpose

3. Who benefits vs who pays?

• Benefits: Banks, weapons manufacturers, contractors, shareholders, executives

• Pays: Taxpayers (through debt), soldiers (through death/trauma), civilians (through bombing)

• Inverse relationship - those who profit don't pay, those who pay don't profit

4. Is it sustainable without deception?

• Requires lies to justify (WMDs, fabricated incidents)

• Requires propaganda to maintain support

• Requires censorship of dissent

• Cannot be sustained without deception

5. Does it create flourishing or suffering?

• Creates: Death, destruction, trauma, debt, instability, refugee crises

• Destroys: Lives, infrastructure, economies, societies

• Creates massive suffering

6. Can it be reformed?

• Revolving door persists regardless of exposure

• Same pattern continues regardless of public opposition

• Both parties support it

• Industry controls the system

• Cannot be reformed within existing structure

By every moral measure, funding the war machine through taxation is indefensible.

The Personal Complicity Question

If you continued giving money to a mafia protection racket after discovering it was a racket, would you be complicit?

Most people would say yes.

If you continue paying tax that funds:

• Engineered wars based on lies

• Weapons that kill civilians

• Banks that profit from death

• Destruction deliberately created for reconstruction profit

• A system that cannot be reformed

• Endless debt enslaving future generations

Are you complicit?

This is the question each person must answer.

The Scale of the Moral Horror

Consider what your tax money has funded in just the last 25 years:

Iraq War:

• 460,000+ deaths (conservative estimates, some much higher)

• Country destroyed

• Rise of ISIS

• Ongoing chaos

• Based on lies about WMDs

• Cost: Trillions, still paying

Afghanistan War:

• 240,000+ deaths

• 20 years of occupation

• Country left in ruins

• Taliban back in power

• Nothing accomplished

• Cost: Trillions, still paying

Libya Intervention:

• Thousands dead

• Country destroyed

• Now has slave markets

• Ongoing civil war

• Was prosperous, now failed state

• Cost: Billions

Syria:

• Hundreds of thousands dead

• Half population displaced

• Infrastructure destroyed

• Ongoing conflict

• No resolution

• Cost: Billions and ongoing

Yemen (UK supporting Saudi war):

• Hundreds of thousands dead

• Famine

• Cholera epidemic

• Humanitarian catastrophe

• UK selling weapons to Saudi Arabia

• Cost: Billions

Total deaths from wars your tax money funded: Over 1 million in last 25 years alone.

These are not abstractions. These are human beings - children, parents, grandparents - killed with weapons purchased with borrowed money that you pay interest on.

Can This Be Moral?

Some argue: "These are unfortunate but necessary."

But we've proven they're not necessary - they're engineered for profit.

Some argue: "I have no choice - I must pay tax."

But the elite use legal mechanisms (trusts, etc.) to avoid funding this system. There IS a choice. You've just never been taught you have it.

Some argue: "One person can't change the system."

But one person can stop participating in it. One person can withdraw consent. One person can refuse complicity. And one person can help others wake up.

The question is not whether the system will change.

The question is whether you will continue funding it.

Part 6: What This Means - The Choice You Face

Now you know:

• War is a racket - the most profitable business on Earth

• Your tax money funds it through debt that you pay interest on forever

• Conflicts are engineered deliberately to generate profit

• Banks and weapons manufacturers make billions while millions die

• The destruction is intentional - it creates reconstruction opportunities

• The revolving door ensures the system continues

• Voting doesn't change it - both parties are captured

• The moral case for funding this is nonexistent

What now?

The Three Positions

Position 1: "I didn't know, but nothing changes"

• Accept what you've learned

• Continue paying tax anyway

• Hope the system somehow improves

• Try not to think about what you're funding

This is the default position. It requires no action. It also requires no integrity.

Position 2: "I'll work to reform it"

• Lobby politicians

• Support anti-war movements

• Vote for "better" candidates

• Try to change the system from within

This position has been tried for decades. The system doesn't reform. It's not designed to.

Position 3: "I withdraw my consent and support"

• Recognize the system as irredeemable

• Stop funding it where legally possible

• Use the same legal tools the elite use (trusts, beneficial interest)

• Help others understand

• Build alternatives

This position requires courage, knowledge, and acceptance of consequences. But it maintains moral integrity.

What the Elite Already Know

The wealthy and elite already made this choice:

• They use trusts to protect wealth from taxation

• They structure affairs to minimize statutory obligations

• They understand beneficial interest and legal persons

• They don't fund the system at the same rate as the masses

• They've known this for generations

The difference:

• They were taught these tools

• You were deliberately kept ignorant

• They use the law to protect themselves

• You were told "there's no alternative"

But there IS an alternative. It's the same alternative the elite use. You just weren't taught it.

The Knowledge Changes Everything

You cannot unknow what you now know:

• War is engineered for profit

• Your tax funds the machine

• The deaths are deliberate

• The debt is eternal

• The system cannot be reformed

• There IS an alternative (the elite use it)

Once you see this, continuing to fund it becomes a moral choice, not an unavoidable obligation.

The Real Question

The question is not "should I pay tax?"

The question is:

"Should I fund a system that engineers wars to enrich banks and weapons manufacturers, creating debt that enslaves future generations, killing millions, all based on lies - when I now know that's what it does, and when I know there's an alternative that the elite use?"

When you frame it accurately, the answer becomes clear.

Conclusion: War Is A Racket - And You've Been Paying For It

Let's return to where we started - Major General Smedley Butler in 1935:

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious."

He was right. And in the 90 years since, the racket has only perfected itself.

What we've proven in this article:

The Mechanism:

• Wars are engineered through propaganda, false intelligence, and provocation

• Governments borrow money from banks to fund wars

• Weapons manufacturers profit billions from the borrowed money

• Banks collect interest from taxpayers forever

• Wars destroy infrastructure deliberately

• Reconstruction corporations profit from rebuilding

• The cycle repeats endlessly by design

The Beneficiaries:

• Banks: Interest on eternal war debt

• Weapons manufacturers: Billions in guaranteed profits

• Reconstruction corporations: Billions rebuilding what was destroyed

• Shareholders and executives: Dividends and compensation

• Politicians: Revolving door to industry positions

The Victims:

• Soldiers: Death, trauma, destroyed lives

• Foreign civilians: Death, destruction, displacement

• Taxpayers: Eternal debt and interest payments

• Future generations: Inheriting debt from wars they weren't alive for

The Truth:

• Iraq's WMDs were lies

• Gulf of Tonkin never happened

• Libya intervention created chaos

• Syria intervention created ISIS

• Pattern repeats with each new war

The Revolving Door:

• Same people move between government and industry

• Both parties captured by defence lobby

• Media owned by defence advertisers

• Think tanks funded by contractors

• System continues regardless of elections

The Moral Reality:

• Based on deception (provable lies)

• Creates suffering (millions dead)

• Benefits only the few (corporations and banks)

• Enslaves future generations (eternal debt)

• Cannot be reformed (system captured)

• Alternative exists (elite use it)

The Choice:

You now know what you're funding. You cannot pretend ignorance.

You can:

1. Continue funding it (complicity)

2. Try to reform it (futile)

3. Withdraw support and build alternatives (moral integrity)

What the elite already know:

There IS an alternative. They use it. They just never taught you about it.

Trust law. Beneficial interest. Equity. The same tools we've discussed in previous articles.

The elite don't fund the war machine at the rate you do. They protect their wealth through legal mechanisms that separate them from statutory obligations.

They know war is a racket. That's why they avoid funding it while profiting from it.

Now you know too.

The question is: Will you continue paying for a racket that kills millions to enrich banks and weapons manufacturers?

Or will you withdraw your consent, learn the tools the elite use, and stop funding the most profitable, most vicious racket in human history?

War is a racket.

Your tax money funds it.

The elite avoid it.

Now you know.

What will you do?

This article is for educational purposes, documenting the profit mechanisms of war, the engineering of conflicts, and the moral questions surrounding taxation that funds war. It is based on documented historical examples, proven lies that justified wars, established financial mechanisms, and publicly available profit figures. Nothing in this article advocates violence or violation of common law. It advocates for truth, for recognizing deception, for understanding where tax money actually goes, and for making informed moral choices about funding systems that operate through engineered death for profit.

Major General Smedley Butler's 1935 book "War Is A Racket" remains one of the most important exposés of the war machine by someone who participated in it at the highest levels. His words remain as true today as they were then - perhaps more so, given the scale and sophistication the racket has achieved.