An Era of War and Militarism

The global economy’s prolonged stagnation and decline have plunged much of the world into mounting debt and intractable crises. As economic competition and political conflict among imperial powers intensify, they scramble to maintain their dominance and stay afloat. While imposing neoliberal policies on the rest of the world, they have become increasingly protectionist with their own trade and industrial policies to favor their respective manufacturers and direct state investments.

Imperialist ambitions have led to wars of aggression, marking renewed efforts to redivide the world. These actions heighten the risk of regional conflicts and direct inter-imperialist confrontations. The United States continues to assert its unipolar dominance in a multipolar world, while Russia and China push hard for their own agendas. Each is heavily investing in their respective military-industrial complexes to secure political dominance over the other. Military spending continues to get the biggest share in terms of global spending. In 2023, defense expenditures rose to $2.24 trillion with the US, China, and Russia accounting for more than 56% of all expenditures, and 61% of all exports. 

The world today is marked by brutal campaigns of aggression, primarily led by the US, while China and Russia strive to expand their economic influence and secure control over land and natural resources. Over the past decade, the most significant wars have involved the US in collaboration with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Together, they have worked actively to undermine Russia’s influence through direct and proxy conflicts such as the prolonged war in Ukraine. 

Over the past 20 months, the U.S. has allocated approximately $183 billion to Ukraine. A significant portion of this funding has gone to top American defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. On the other hand, Russia has ramped up its military spending, investing $81.7 billion in 2022, $120 billion in 2023, and an estimated $132 billion in 2024 for military production.

The scale of military expenditure underscores the intensifying inter-imperialist rivalry. Global spending on arms and ammunition has reached $443 billion, with the top five spenders—the United States, China, Russia, India, and Saudi Arabia—accounting for a combined total of $1.48 trillion. The list of top military spenders, which also includes the UK, Germany, Ukraine, France, and Japan, has remained largely unchanged over the past two years.

For decades, the US has staged wars of aggression and intervention on varying scales and  duration in different parts of the world. It maintains more than 700 overseas military bases — five times more than its imperialist rivals—enabling it to project power and sustain global hegemony. It is also heightening its drive to assert hegemony in the Asia Pacific region in line with its strategy to contain the expansion of its imperialist rival, China. Though NATO is not an Asia-Pacific entity, it has already declared its readiness to intervene in the region during its previous summit. 

The U.S. has waged wars of aggression throughout the Asia-Pacific—across China, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and much of West Asia. In Palestine alone, at least 50,000 people have died, with over 100,000 more injured, the majority of them women and children. What is unfolding there is an ecocide, compounded by a devastating famine, which is itself a form of violence inflicted on the region. In Lebanon, Zionist Israel’s brutal bombings escalated into the assassination of key resistance leaders and attacks on civilian communities. Syria has endured over a decade of crippling sanctions, designed to suffocate its economy and prevent it from achieving self-sufficiency, while U.S. imperialism continues to siphon its oil resources.

Military operations are also unfolding across the Pacific region, spanning from the Philippines and Indonesia to various Pacific island nations. The Marshall Islands, a well-known U.S. military base, is one of the 16 Pacific countries directly controlled by the U.S. for its marine biodiversity and resources. Deep-sea mining is underway in the Pacific Ocean, searching for rare earth minerals essential for future material development and the advancement of cutting-edge military technologies.

With the return of the fascist Trump administration, it is certain that tensions with China will continue to escalate. This began with Trump’s push to impose tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese imports. Notably, in 2017, his administration introduced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, which called for a stronger military presence in Asia, particularly around the West Philippine Sea. Additionally, his appointed Secretary of State has openly declared that “Trump will confront China by arming and meddling in Taiwan.” 

The escalation of inter-imperialist rivalry is now a looming reality under Trump’s presidency. This intensifying competition for global dominance is expected to fuel further militarization, economic sanctions, and proxy wars, with devastating consequences for the broad masses. As inter-imperialist contradictions intensify, it will be the people who will bear the brunt—suffering the compounded impacts of war, economic instability, and escalating social unrest.

For those of us who seek self-determination, liberation, and the right to our own nation-states, it’s crucial that we think critically and act decisively in this moment. The most urgent task before us is to build unity and establish a strong presence within the communities we are committed to serving. We must deepen our understanding of the people’s issues—whether they are social, economic, or political. Disruption and unrest abound. This is our challenge, and it is a call for us to make a difference.

Our call is clear: we must build a united front. We need to be highly organized in order to resist imperialism which is draining the life out of our people. We must stand firm against war and militarism, and we must confront the rise of fascism which has become deeply entrenched in our societies. 

The imperialist crisis and inter-imperialist conflict are generating favorable conditions for people’s resistance. Across the globe, there is a rising wave of discontent and hatred towards corporations and the ruling elite who have, for generations, privatized the wealth created by the people. The growing discontent with governments that prioritize war over the welfare of their own people has become undeniable. These war-mongering regimes, which pour resources into destructive wars and conflicts while neglecting the needs of the population, are facing an increasingly vocal and resolute opposition. At this time, it is crucial for individuals, communities, and organizations to unite, resist exploitation, and demand a just system that places people’s needs above profits. The time to act is now—join the people’s movement, stand in solidarity, and help build a world that serves the many, not the few.