A Quarter Century of War: US Militarism Defines the 21st Century
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As 2025 draws to a close,it marks the end of the first quarter of the 21st century – a period indelibly shaped by the extensive military interventions of the United states.Reflecting on the past 25 years, the scale of global events influenced by US military actions is undeniable, echoing a pattern established throughout much of the 20th century.
The trajectory of this era was fundamentally altered shortly after the new century began with the launch of the “global war on terror” under President George W. Bush following the September 11, 2001, attacks.Bush, in a now-iconic call to action, declared, “We have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, let’s roll.” He framed the conflict as a mission to “wage a war to save civilisation itself,” a justification that ultimately led to widespread destruction adn the deaths of millions.
9/11 and the Dawn of Endless War
On September 11, 2001, the author was a junior at Columbia University in New York City. The initial shock gave way to a strange sense of normalcy as life resumed, albeit under a cloud of grief and fear. The author recalls a moment of surreal contrast: attending a lavish university fundraising gala just days after the attacks, a national tragedy. This scene starkly contrasted with the fate awaiting countless civilians who would soon find themselves on the receiving end of US military force, for whom such simple comforts would be unavailable.
From Afghanistan to Iraq: A Cascade of Conflict
From Austin, the author traveled to Rome via New York, witnessing on Italian television their country’s response to the attacks: the bombing of Afghanistan. This initial intervention, described as an “exercise in mass slaughter,” laid the groundwork for the 2003 invasion of Iraq – a nation already burdened by the consequences of US sanctions. By 1996, it was estimated that half a million Iraqi children had perished due to those sanctions.
Bush himself acknowledged the difficulty in linking Iraq to the broader “war on terror,” remarking,”You know,one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.” Despite being frequently enough characterized by his linguistic shortcomings, Bush was supported by figures like Dick Cheney, dubbed “the darth Vader of the governance,” who were deeply committed to justifying perpetual warfare.
Obama, Trump, and Biden: A Continuing Legacy
Bush’s successor, Barack Obama, despite receiving a premature Nobel Peace Prize, authorized the deployment of 26,172 bombs across seven countries during his final year in office alone. Yemen was a particular target, with Obama’s drone strikes resulting in civilian casualties, including attendees at weddings.
When Donald Trump assumed the presidency in 2017, US strikes on Yemen escalated further. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported more strikes in Trump’s first 100 days than in the previous two years combined, facilitated by relaxed rules allowing military authorization without White House oversight.
Joe Biden, serving between Trump’s terms, expanded washington’s support for Israeli actions, contributing to what has been described as a genocide in the Gaza strip, funded by billions of US taxpayer dollars. Israel,having embraced the “war on terror” framework post-9/11,continues it’s military operations in Gaza,even under the guise of a Trump-brokered ceasefire.
Trump’s return to power has seen a further escalation of “counterterror” operations, characterized by increased recklessness. His newly branded Department of War has engaged in actions such as destroying boats off the coast of Venezuela and conducting extrajudicial killings of those on board. Unlike the Bush-Cheney era, where justifications for aggression were at least presented with some semblance of coherence, Trump appears unconcerned with legal pretense, resorting to accusations of “narcoterrorism” and “oil theft” against Venezuela.
A Future Defined by Militarism
Now, US military power is increasingly subject to the impulsive decisions of a leader whose bombing campaigns in Iran, Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere mirror his erratic communication style. As the world enters the second quarter of the 21st century, defined by the devastating consequences of US militarism, the initial “marching orders” – “My fellow Americans, let’s roll” – resonate with a chilling importance.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
