Is War Inevitable? The $2.72 Trillion Question. By Dusty Wentworth
Introduction A quiet, yet profound, shift is underway across the global landscape. Military budgets are escalating at unprecedented rates, civilian populations are incrementally being reacquainted with the concept of national service, and geopolitical discourse has adopted a distinctly martial cadence. These intertwined developments coalesce into a sobering realisation: the notion of large-scale war, once relegated to the unthinkable, is steadily re-entering the realm of strategic possibility. This analysis is not a prophecy of imminent conflict, nor is it a call to arms. Instead, it offers a reasoned, evidence-based examination of the compelling political, economic, and military trends that collectively signal a future where major conflict is being subtly normalised as a legitimate policy tool, rather than a catastrophic last resort. Military Spending Reaches Historic Highs The sheer scale of the global military build-up is stark. In 2023, worldwide defence expenditure sur...