The massive war lobby

by Tommaso Merlo

After years of waging war on Islamic terrorism, the largest caliphate in history is emerging in Syria—a dream come true for jihadists, made possible by their worst enemies: Western powers. It is truly incredible. First, we bathe the world in blood in the name of democracy and human rights; then, we help fanatical beheaders establish themselves. First, we waste billions of public resources to destroy a few brutal enemies of humanity, and then we hand them victory on a silver platter. Just like in Afghanistan. Twenty years of military occupation, only to leave Kabul to the Taliban and flee in panic. No one takes responsibility. And that’s not all. We also suffer the collateral damage of those disasters, with millions of refugees to manage. If, after decades of military failures, the world were safer and more stable, there would be little to complain about. Instead, wars are growing in number and intensity. We are now in chaos, with the risk of a world war just around the corner. And no one does anything but pour fuel on the fire. Politicians, bureaucrats, profiteers, journalists—a massive, unstoppable war lobby. Politics gives the order to attack, systems execute it, lobbies fatten their profits, and the media trumpet the call to perpetual assault.

It was Bush who demanded Saddam’s head based on carefully fabricated fake news, while Obama pursued Gaddafi’s and Assad’s downfall. Sometimes wars are fought openly under the sun; other times, dirty work is required, as in Syria. Supporting rebel groups with training, funds, and weapons while simultaneously starving the population with economic sanctions, as happened in Syria. This pattern has repeated for decades, but to truly understand what happens in the Middle East, one must view it from the Palestinian perspective. Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Iran—the next target on the blacklist—all have one thing in common: they are historical enemies of Israel.

To successfully complete their colonial project, Zionists had two options. Either negotiate with Palestinians and grant them at least their own state, or defeat all pro-Palestinian countries, thus freeing themselves to impose their will by force on the indomitable Palestinians. Naturally, they chose the second option. The problem with this strategy is that Israel is a small country and needed U.S. military and economic support. To achieve this, they exploited the capitalist-lobby system, securing the backing of both sides of American politics. No conspiracy theories—these are well-known facts.

Assad’s Syria had been in Israel’s crosshairs for years, and without Russian help, it would have already fallen during the civil war. Up to this point, it was a grim routine. The recent development, however, is that with Turkey’s cooperation, Damascus has ended up in the hands of a group of known Islamic terrorists. According to some analysts, this situation got out of control, meaning no one expected such a swift collapse of the Syrian regime. This is confirmed by Israel’s nervous reaction, immediately occupying Syrian territories and launching widespread bombings. Partly because Netanyahu has a new neighbor and wants to quickly establish terms, partly because conflict is his default approach, and partly because he fears that the Syrian army’s weapons might fall into the hands of jihadists who, until recently, were beheading “infidels” and glorifying September 11.

After all, these are still Muslims—and fundamentalists at that—and Jerusalem is also sacred to them. If any of these bearded fighters decided to reclaim the city, it would spell serious trouble for Israel. One defeated enemy would be replaced by an even worse one: a massive caliphate, a hub for Islamic terrorists from around the world. Truly chilling.

But that’s how it is—war resolves nothing and only worsens existing problems. History has taught us this countless times. Yet wars continue to increase in number and intensity. We are now in chaos, with the threat of a world war looming on the horizon. And no one does anything but pour gasoline on the fire. Politicians, bureaucrats, profiteers, journalists—we are at the mercy of an unstoppable war lobby.

It’s time for a peace lobby to emerge. This is not a utopia, but the only realistic path to avoid self-destruction.