Centuries Spent Spilling Rivers of Blood

If we study history carefully, we find that the dominant culture or civilization tends to set global trends. At present, the West dominates the world in every respect—intellectually, artistically, economically, financially, and militarily. One thing that especially preoccupies the Western mind is war, and this is why a state of conflict exists around the world that seems never to end. Everyone knows that war is a kind of hell that destroys everything in its path, yet the appetite for war remains insatiable. We see a culture of fascination with war permeating films, dramas, video games, books, and even music. It seems as though war has become an inseparable part of Western culture.

There is a strong focus on fostering and nurturing a mindset that is inclined toward war. From a young age, Western individuals are introduced to the idea of war as something normal. Toy guns, model tanks, and board games ensure that war becomes a fundamental part of their mental framework. Consequently, those who grow up in the West come to see war as an essential aspect of both life and governance.

Today, war-themed video games are incredibly popular around the world. Even outside of Western societies, millions of children are playing these games, internalizing war as part of their personality. Only those who have lived through war can truly understand the mental toll that repeated exposure to violence can have on a person. The West is grooming its new generation to adopt a mindset that favours war. This generation is becoming desensitized to violence, both witnessing and enduring it. These war-themed video games plant the seeds of war lust and a fascination with bloodshed in children’s minds like nails driven deep into wood.

Western culture, especially that of the United States, is founded on warlike tendencies. Their consciousness is so absorbed by war that life without it seems unimaginable. This attraction to war has severely impacted their moral structure as well. For the U.S., war is a reality that always happens somewhere else. If America is involved in a war, it is always fought far from its own shores. The U.S. strategy is that others should fight the wars, while the weapons that fuel these wars should come from America. American politicians and voters may express a strong dislike for weapons, but the state structure and policy-making processes are such that this sentiment never translates into actual change.

America frequently blames others for instigating wars, but in reality, it has played a key role in normalizing a warlike mentality. Through its policies, the U.S. has sparked conflict around the globe, dragging many regions into the quagmire of war. Europe has assisted America in these efforts, playing a supporting role. Most of the civil wars currently raging across the world can be traced back to U.S. policies and actions. Europe also contributes significantly, but many of the West’s decisions align with American interests. The U.S. benefits from these situations and, as such, must also take responsibility for the major chaos that ensues.

The Western media has played a significant and disturbing role in preparing minds to accept war as a desirable activity. Many media outlets in the U.S. and Europe portray war as an unavoidable reality that people must accept. Coverage of conflicts is presented in such a way that viewers become desensitized to the scenes of death and destruction, accepting them without protest. Instead of depicting war as an undesirable and catastrophic reality, Western media frames it as something useful and, to a certain extent, acceptable. Their goal is to ensure that viewers do not feel discomfort while watching war coverage.

Those who fight in wars and suffer its consequences often experience lifelong psychological and emotional imbalance. They understand better than anyone how war can devastate entire societies, yet they lack the power or voice to influence public opinion. Even if they wish to speak out against war, they are unable to shape minds. Moreover, society is often unwilling to listen to those who know and have lived through the devastating outcomes of war. The public views war through the lens presented to them by the media. Take, for example, Michael Bay’s film 13 Hours, which depicted the Benghazi incident in Libya. In the film, explosions—the most dangerous reality of any war—are presented in a way that makes them appear “cool” and acceptable.

This fascination with war is deeply embedded in Western culture, and as long as it persists, the world will continue to witness the horrific consequences of conflict.

For the past year, daily bombings in Gaza and other regions have resulted in the horrific destruction of human lives, with even hospitals not being spared. This relentless cycle not only continues but is expected to intensify, with the United States fully backing these actions. During their election campaigns, both candidates have openly supported Israel. Trump’s statement that “Israel should immediately attack Iran’s nuclear program and destroy it” is clear evidence that their mission is to achieve power at the cost of devastating the entire region. Let’s not forget that in the past year, Israel has dropped 80,000 tons of explosives on civilian areas — far more than the ammunition used in world wars — and this onslaught shows no signs of stopping.

The U.S. military still aims to maintain war as a prevalent mindset. To ensure this, media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, TV channels, and even Hollywood films are being used. The development of new weapons is being highly encouraged, and many films promote these advanced weapons and their technologies, instilling in the rest of the world the notion that if they want to survive in today’s world, they must not only acquire the most modern weapons but also embrace a warlike mentality.

The U.S. and Europe have been obsessively focused on developing extremely dangerous weapons under the guise of defense technology, and they have sold many of these weapons across the globe. The U.S. military has been driven by the obsession of maintaining its superiority in deadly arms, ensuring no one else can surpass them. All of this has been financed by taxpayers, while sectors like education and healthcare remain neglected. Few elected officials raise this issue, as everything is sacrificed on the altar of national security. Citizens are constantly reminded of security risks, implying that resolving their basic issues is secondary to the country’s survival. If the country is secure, their problems will eventually be addressed.

Significant amounts of money are allocated to research and development for upgrading weapons and producing new ones. If a real threat exists, fine; otherwise, new threats are created and inflated. As soon as an external threat seems imminent, budgets for weapon development and upgrades increase.

While all of Europe gained enough enemies post 9/11, the U.S. remains particularly self-sufficient in this regard, with most of these enemies being products of its own policies. Arms manufacturers always need a significant adversary or mechanism to keep production going. American politicians excel in fabricating enemies if none exist, often supporting terrorist groups covertly to maintain justification for U.S. military interventions globally. Over the past few decades, the U.S. has created several terrorist groups, exploiting them for its own purposes. Notice how, during election campaigns, the candidate who emphasizes national defense the most gains the most popularity and is often seen as the true patriot.

In the U.S. and Europe, the arms industry frequently faces challenges, as no adversary is capable of attacking American or European soil directly. Without a viable enemy, what justifies keeping the arms industry running? This is the question Western nations are unwilling to confront. To illustrate, the U.S. has committed aggression against 36 countries worldwide, failing miserably in each one and often retreating in disgrace. In Vietnam and Afghanistan, the U.S. waged decades-long wars of bloodshed and destruction, but ultimately fled Vietnam, with troops clinging to helicopters for evacuation. In Afghanistan, despite a 20-year campaign of devastation, the U.S. made a hasty exit by August 30, 2021. But as soon as that chapter closed, the American war machine plunged into the Ukraine conflict on February 24, 2022, and the war is ongoing. According to Princeton researchers, the risk of nuclear war has dramatically increased in the past two years, as both the U.S. and Russia have abandoned long-standing nuclear control agreements and begun developing new types of nuclear weapons, creating more scenarios in which these could be used.

According to aggressive U.S. policies, America still wants certain extremist groups to remain active and not retreat. There is considerable attention given to keeping these groups alive and strong in some form. These groups provide opportunities for the U.S. to maintain its global dominance. Both the U.S. and Europe have reaped the benefits of fueling terrorism. U.S. policies have sown the seeds of destruction, and in reaction, groups have risen against America, which are then secretly supported by the U.S. to project the illusion of facing an unseen enemy — terrorists. A clear example of this is how, immediately after 9/11, the U.S. threatened to “bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age” to secure all forms of ground support and then, within a month, launched 57,000 airstrikes on Afghanistan, reducing it to rubble. Yet, despite Pakistan’s loyalty, the U.S. allowed India, Pakistan’s long-standing enemy, to use Afghanistan as a base for terrorist activities against Pakistan. Today, with full Western backing, India continues to support these terrorist proxies with the aim of dismantling the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

On August 12, 2016, Republican Donald Trump labelled Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as “co-founders” of the Islamic State, denying their claims of being responsible for the rise of the militant group. The immense wealth gathered from the fluid resources of Arab nations was primarily secured in American banks. Initially, this substantial amount was used by American arms manufacturing plants to stabilise the American economy. This was achieved by portraying the threat of Israel in the Middle East to compel these countries to purchase weapons at exorbitant prices. Subsequently, they ignited discord among these very nations, resulting in their arms manufacturing industry operating at full throttle around the clock.

Iraq was embroiled in a war with Iran for eight years due to a conspiracy, the costs of which were borne not only by the two countries but also by other oil-rich neighbouring nations. Just when this calamity had not yet subsided, Iraq was ensnared in a heinous trap that led to its invasion of Kuwait. Then, under the pretext of assisting Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the “World Order” was initiated. The United States launched a full-scale attack on Iraq with its own and allied forces to liberate Kuwait. According to American records, the U.S. collected $178 billion from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for its services and imposed proposed sanctions on Iraq, extracting another $120 billion from it. The most capable and resource-rich Iraqi military was completely annihilated, thus safeguarding its foster child, Israel, from threats posed by Iraq. Israel had already destroyed the Iraqi nuclear programme in a specific airstrike, utilising the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait with their official permission.

This was not enough; subsequently, under a conspiracy, Iraq was accused of secretly preparing chemical weapons, and it was destroyed merely because Iraq, after American aggression, had made several agreements with Russia and China to reorganise its military in exchange for Iraqi oil. It stipulated that the price of Iraqi petrol would not be in dollars but in euros and other currencies. The U.S. seized Iraq and awarded the lucrative contract for all Iraqi oil reserves to American companies, particularly to former Vice President Dick Cheney. The centuries-old Iraqi civilisation was ruthlessly obliterated, and even today, civil war continues in Iraq, plunging the Iraqi nation into extreme poverty.

Conflicts and violence are part of societies. Many cultures have always had an inclination towards war and strife. Even today, numerous wars are being fought that have no direct connection to the U.S. and the West, yet the hand of America and the West remains prominent. American and Western societies are promoting militarism to sell their arms. Many regions have been plunged into severe internal threats regarding security. Numerous countries have been unnecessarily embroiled in warfare. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen are clear examples of this. In today’s West, media, economy, politics, and entertainment are all engulfed in militarism; until this trend is abandoned, the path to genuine peace in the world cannot be paved.