War, Profit, And The Dollar’s Retreat
Washington’s war against Iran, launched Feb. 28 with the U.S.–Israeli assault known as Operation Epic Fury, began with a burst of spending. In the first 100 hours alone the Pentagon burned through an estimated $3.7 billion in missiles, air operations and interceptor systems, most of it not previously budgeted.
The war began immediately. The financial mechanisms are being assembled afterward. For U.S. imperialism this sequence is familiar: war first, financing later.
This sequence reflects the structure of imperialism itself. The decision for war is political and strategic. Once that decision is made, the capitalist state mobilizes the financial system — through deficits, borrowing and credit expansion — to sustain the war effort.