Secret Behind $2.1 Trillion Windfall for America's Top 5 Defense Contractors

Earlier this year, the United States deployed special forces to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the heart of Caracas, showcasing the power of American advanced weaponry to the world. The operation mobilized 150 military aircraft and drones, including F-22 and F-35 fighters, B-1 bombers, and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. The mission reportedly also employed the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth reconnaissance drone and a classified weapon called the "Discombobulator" designed to neutralize enemy weapons systems.

Speculation is also mounting that a U.S. strike on Iran may be imminent. The Washington Post recently reported that the United States has repositioned more than 150 military aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East—the largest military deployment to the region since the 2003 Iraq War. While successive American presidents have called for "peace," the United States has never ceased military intervention since World War II. The Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars are prime examples.

The new book "Why America Can't Stop Fighting Wars" examines why the United States remains trapped in endless conflict. William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman, researchers at the Quincy Institute, a Washington think tank, trace the cause to the military-industrial complex—an entanglement of military, industry, money, and power that exerts enormous influence over the executive branch, Congress, and the armed forces.

The authors argue that astronomical defense budgets and weapons sales have transformed the military-industrial complex into a profit-obsessed monster. The Pentagon's budget for fiscal year 2025 stands at $895 billion. Defense contractors are by far the biggest beneficiaries. According to the authors, half of the $14 trillion spent by the Defense Department in the 20 years following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks—some $7 trillion—flowed to private defense firms. During the same period, the "Big Five" American defense contractors—Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Boeing, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman—secured $2.1 trillion through Pentagon contracts and foreign arms sales.

American weapons are supplied not only to Ukraine, which faces Russian invasion, and Israel, which is at war with Hamas, but to countries around the globe. According to the authors, the United States controlled 43% of the global arms market from 2020 to 2024—three times Russia's share and six times China's. In 2022, American-supplied weapons were used in 34 of 46 conflicts worldwide, meaning that in some conflicts, both warring parties fought with U.S.-made arms.

The authors identify lobbying and the "revolving door" as the primary mechanisms through which the defense industry colludes with politicians for profit. In 2024, Pentagon contractors spent $148 million on lobbying and employed more than 945 lobbyists—the equivalent of two lobbyists and $270,500 in lobbying funds for every member of the House of Representatives. That per-member spending exceeds a House member's annual salary of $174,000. The revolving door—where senior Pentagon officials or former lawmakers become defense industry lobbyists, while industry executives are appointed to top Pentagon positions—further sustains the military-industrial complex. Four of the last five U.S. defense secretaries previously served on defense company boards.

The authors contend that the U.S. military-industrial complex is approaching its most significant transformation since World War II. A battle for control of the war industry is underway between the established Big Five and emerging forces represented by Silicon Valley technology companies. Leading the new wave are Palantir, founded by prominent Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel; SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk; and Anduril, established by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. These companies maintain close ties to the second Trump administration. The authors predict that the outcome of this clash between old and new forces will shape the character of America's future weapons systems.

The authors' argument that U.S. defense policy—which directly affects Korean Peninsula security—is driven by the interests of the military-industrial complex offers important implications for Korea as well. However, the book's tendency to overstate the defense industry's influence on society at large, and its insufficient analysis of political and security factors that cause war—such as military expansion by China and Russia—are notable shortcomings.

452 pages, 25,000 won.