A Nation on the Brink: Military Spending vs. Real Security
America is on an unsustainable economic trajectory as it continues to prioritize military spending above all else. A new analysis warns that Congressional plans to slash taxes while expanding spending will add $5.8 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade—surpassing the combined costs of the 2017 tax cuts, the 2020 CARES Act, the 2021 American Rescue Plan, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
At the Peace Economy Project (PEP), we believe that this looming fiscal crisis is not just a budgetary problem—it is a stark reminder of our nation’s misplaced priorities. Rather than investing in healthcare, education, affordable housing, or climate resilience, our government continues to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into an ever-expanding military machine.
The Burden of Endless Militarization
The rising national debt is not just the result of social programs or economic stimulus packages. Year after year, an outsized portion of the federal budget is dedicated to military spending—funding weapons systems, overseas bases, and endless conflict—while vital domestic needs go underfunded.
This year’s military budget exceeds $850 billion, a figure that dwarfs U.S. investments in public health, education, housing, and infrastructure combined. Worse still, as interest payments on the national debt climb to nearly $1 trillion annually, Americans are footing the bill for past decisions that prioritized war-making over nation-building at home.
Debt, Economic Security, and the True Costs of Militarism
A ballooning debt fueled by tax cuts for the wealthy and runaway defense spending threatens the very economic security it claims to protect. Rising interest costs will squeeze financial markets, drive up borrowing rates for families and businesses, and erode middle-class incomes. Meanwhile, the programs that actually improve people’s lives—Social Security, Medicare, public education, and affordable healthcare—face increasing pressure for cuts.
This is the vicious cycle of militarized economics:
- More spending on weapons and war
- Higher debt and interest payments
- Less investment in human needs
- Growing inequality and economic instability
Building a Peace Economy
At PEP, we advocate for a bold reimagining of our national priorities. A true peace economy invests in people, not in war. It channels resources toward housing, healthcare, education, renewable energy, and community well-being—not endless military build-up and global arms races.
Rather than allowing fear and militarism to bankrupt our future, we must demand investments that create real security: healthy communities, strong public services, and an economy that works for everyone.
The Path Forward
- Reallocate Defense Spending: Shift even a fraction of the military budget toward social programs to address economic insecurity at its roots.
- Promote Fiscal Responsibility through Peace: Sustainable budgets must include cuts to military excess—not just cuts to social protections.
- Invest in Human Needs: Prioritize investments in healthcare, education, food security, climate resilience, and housing to build a resilient economy.
- Engage and Advocate: Citizens must hold policymakers accountable for choices that trade public good for private and military gain.
The true debt bomb isn’t spending on people—it’s an economic model addicted to militarism. Only by changing our priorities can we avert fiscal disaster and create a future rooted in justice, equity, and peace.
