The Costs Of War

There are many costs of war, and not just the obvious ones. Plus an article on how the MIC makes its profits: "M16: The Rifle Made To Fail"

The Costs Of War

by C. A. Matthews

Notice the plural—it’s the costs of war. How much money is available to spend plays a large part in how any war is conducted and concluded, but there are so many other costs that are seldom considered by those who start a war rather than take the diplomatic route to settle their dispute with others.

The costs in human lives is perhaps the most tragic of the costs of war. It’s difficult to say how many soldiers have been killed in the two-week-old war with Iran since the United States and Israel (USrael) have been keeping very quiet on the numbers. Experts estimate that there have been far more American deaths than the thirteen or so admitted to the mainstream media. Some believe there to be at least 1,000+ American troops, CIA agents, and civilian contractors to the military killed so far in the bombings of the US military bases in the Gulf region alone. A US military hospital in Landstuhl has been inundated with the injured coming from the war arena according to X posts from Germany.

On the civilian side, there have been on estimated 1,500 deaths and more than 3 million displaced in Iran. This includes the 175 school girls and their teachers bombed in their school by a US Tomahawk missile during the war’s opening hours. Israel’s attacks on Beirut and Lebanon have added at least 800 civilian deaths to the totals and hundreds of thousands of Lebanese displaced. At least a dozen Lebanese paramedics have been killed by the IDF. An entire village in southern Lebanon along with its church and Catholic priest were also targeted for destruction by Israeli forces.

War knows no boundaries. Children, medics, and priests are all fair targets, all a part of the costs of war.

If Israel’s genocide of Palestinians is added into the total of deaths caused by the Israeli military, then that’s another estimated 680,000 civilians, mostly women and children killed since the genocide began in October 2023. The US shouldn’t be left out of this “contest of death” by any means: Over 38 million, mostly children, worldwide have perished because of US economic sanctions over the last 50 years. War can be either “cold” or “hot,” but deaths caused by starvation and lack of humanitarian aid because of a deliberate blockade by the US add up all the same.

In the current USrael war against Iran, the financial costs of war are high, sky high. These huge numbers are nothing new for Americans. The American defense (or war) budget is bigger than all other countries’ defense budgets combined minus China and Russia. The article $11 Billion in Six Days: The Price of Trump’s War on Iran Is Already Exploding demonstrates just how much and how fast the US war machine can spend money. (Update: By the second full week of war, $19 billion was spent.)

A good way to see how the US Department of War is spending their $1 trillion+ budget during this current conflict is by watching the online Iran War Cost Ticker.

As I type the end this sentence, this is the current financial cost of the war on Iran that is being paid for by the American taxpayer: $18, 966, 755, XXX. I can’t make out the end numbers because they’re revolving so quickly. When I get to the end of this section I’ll let you know how much has been spent in this short interval.

What all are these billions upon billions of dollars being spent on? Missiles and bombs, of course, but also planes, tanks, subs, warships and chemical and biological weapons. The US Department of War doesn’t cheat itself out of any of the latest killing technology. (For more on how trustworthy private, for-profit defense contractors are, read M16: The Rifle Made To Fail below.)

It’s fascinating to see how well the Iranians are doing against the well-funded American war machine with their far cheaper weapons. Iranians painted “shadows” of jets onto the tarmac of an airfield and the USrael launched expensive missiles toward them thinking they were the real thing! The Iranians set out giant balloons shaped like tanks and helicopters as decoys They even sent up very flimsy paper and plastic “drones” to trick USrael forces into wasting their ordinance shooting them down.

Who says you have to have the latest weapons to fight back effectively? All it takes is brains and cunning.

Meanwhile, the US budget deficit goes deeper and deeper into the red and its face grows redder with frustration. The Iran war ticker says now that $18,973, 272, XXX has been spent by the American taxpayers in the last few minutes. That’s $11,574 per second or $1,000,000,000 per day. See for yourself.

Think of the health care that could have been provided with that $1 billion for Americans who need it. Think of the food and shelter a billion dollars a day could have been provided to Americans who are hungry and homeless. Tons of money flushed down the drain and for what? This is where the next cost of war comes into play.

Right now large areas of Iran are on fire because USrael has bombed their oil refineries. There are city streets ablaze in Tehran because of oil spilling out of exploded tanks that poured their contents into nearby urban areas. Toxic fumes are choking the Iranian populace and can prove fatal especially to children and the elderly and those with lung issues such as asthma. With so many toxic chemicals burning and debris falling onto the soil and into drinking water supplies, Iranians’ risk of cancer has also increased greatly.

The environmental costs of war are often overlooked by the victors. After all, they don’t have to live with burning oil wells, toppled buildings, and polluted farmlands and forests. Quite telling is that one of the largest polluters on the planet is not even a country—it’s the United States Military, identified as the largest single institutional emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide.

US taxpayers could be spending $1 billion a day on solving the climate crisis rather than a war on Iran if we chose to do so. Our planet’s biosphere could be entirely rehabilitated just by eliminating war. If the world’s scientists and scholars put their energies toward cleaning up our toxic atmosphere, polluted waters, and poisoned soil instead of designing new weapons of death… What a beautiful world it would be! This leads us to the next cost of war.

The social costs of war cannot be denied. Killing your neighbors across the globe isn’t something that is easily forgotten and forgiven. War deteriorates trust among nations. Relationships that once flourished across the globe are destroyed. The US Navy sank an unarmed Iranian vessel near Sri Lanka recently after both ships had participated in an Indian naval exercise.

Can you imagine how betrayed India’s leaders must feel? They promised all those who participated in the naval exercises that it would be a peaceful operation—and then the Americans turn around and fire upon another participant, leaving the survivors to drown. The Gulf Coast nations are even now learning what it means to be a friend of the US as Iranian missiles sent to eliminate American military bases and personnel fall in or near their cities.

Not only are relationships and trust decimated between the combatants, but relationships within each group suffer because of war. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one social cost of war evident in the high rates of depression and suicide among veterans. War isn’t just the bombing, burning, or shooting of military targets. More often than not, war is the bombing, burning, and shooting of innocent civilians and the destruction of their homes, hospitals, churches, mosques, and schools. Soldiers then have to learn to live with the consequences of their actions.

No matter how often they are told, “You were under orders—you were just following orders,” it doesn’t take away from the shame and guilt vets may feel because of the harm they’ve caused others. Western society in particular isn’t always kind to veterans who find themselves questioning their military experiences. They are often told to “suck it up and get back to work.” The former soldier who suffers emotionally for his/her actions is made to think that they are weak and useless, which leads us to our next cost of war...

The moral costs of war are probably the least discussed of all the costs of war. Financial costs, lives lost, environmental consequences, and social disruptions caused by war are easy to see, but what of the soul of the combatants? What of the soul of the society that enters into warfare for less than noble reasons? Does pure greed and blood-lust have a tangible effect on the lives and culture of a nation that commits war for purely selfish reasons?

Moral injury does leave visible marks. The evidence of a morally injured people is seen in the attitudes that society displays both in public and in private. It is seen in their lack of regret for the harm they have caused or allowed others to inflict on those less fortunate.

The person without a moral center often expresses a cold, detached take on life in general. They might take an apathetic or cruel stand toward others who aren’t materially blessed. They might see the homeless vet who abuses drugs and alcohol as part of the “surplus population” that can’t be eliminated fast enough and replaced by AI ‘bots. They might believe that only they have the right to spend large sums of taxpayers’ dollars treating themselves.

Fascists and Zionists who express a white supremacist outlook are often thought of as having no soul because they demonstrate no empathy or compassion for those unlike themselves. Their sense of entitlement knows no bounds. It can be seen in videos of Israeli Zionists complaining about their cities being bombed while displaying zero remorse for their army having destroyed all of Gaza and a good portion of the West Bank, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Their sense of entitlement can be seen in the videos of Israelis brutally r*ping Palestinian prisoners. It can be seen in the Israeli military court that pronounced that r*ping Palestinian prisoners is legal. It can be seen on the Israeli talk shows where the prison r*pists became celebrities to be emulated and admired.

Narcissists such as Trump can be quite “charming” and manipulative, but at their core they express no kindness for anyone but themselves. The only idols they worship are themselves. Once placed into positions of power they may destroy their own society out of sheer sadistic pleasure. No wonder so many are con-artists, rapists, and pedophiles—or Malthusian enthusiasts. Nothing and no one is sacred to them.

War cheapens life in the eyes of many. A society that continually wars upon others will no longer cherish the lives of strangers or even the lives of their own people. The violent actions of ICE toward immigrants and American citizens alike, and the building of warehouse-styled prisons for ICE to lock up even more people, shows just how much endless war has cost the US morally.

While the Iran War Cost Ticker counts upward by a billion dollars per day, the true costs of war as counted in lives, environmental, social, and moral disasters are mounting as well. And the only way we can “cut costs” is by ending war. Everywhere. Forever.

Our resident historian Coast Watcher takes a look at one particular weapon US military-industrial complex shareholders made a killing on—sometimes at the cost of soldiers’ lives.

M16: The Rifle Made To Fail

by Coast Watcher

The concept of an “assault rifle”’ began in WWII when studies by both Allied and Axis powers found that most soldiers fired their weapons at an average range of 400 yards and tended not to aim too well. Creating a weapon that could enable a soldier to spray an area with bullets rather than fire one aimed shot made sense to some military planners, but the concept didn’t attract much attention among the Western powers post-war.

It was a different matter in the Soviet Union where arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov pioneered development with his AK47. The weapon entered Warsaw Pact service in 1947. It rapidly became iconic and is still used today across the world in various versions. It’s lightweight, extremely rugged, has a good rate of fire, and can perform in every environment well.

America came across the AK47’s abilities the hard way during the Korean War. Moves to develop an American weapon to counter the AK47 became a priority. The earliest such weapon in the US arsenal was the M14, which entered service in 1957. Big, heavy and clunky, the M14 was initially adopted by all armed services but was seriously outmatched by the humble AK47 Kalashnikov. US Army studies showed the need for something lighter in their arsenal.

Various for-profit arms manufacturers were invited to tender designs based on this concept. Eugene Stoner produced the M16, an elegant but temperamental design firing a 5.56mm round. It fitted most of the criteria, but it also failed in a number of crucial tests.

In 1965 as the Vietnam War was heating up, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered that the early version of the M16 be adopted by the military, especially the Army. But American troops were being equipped with a rifle that their superiors knew would fail when put to the test.

It wasn’t long before complaints began to be heard from troops. Drafted soldiers were not given time to familiarize themselves with the M16’s peculiarities before being shipped out to the battlefront. Most were told the M16 was “self-cleaning.” (Spoiler: There’s no such animal as a self-cleaning weapon.) Soldiers weren’t even issued cleaning supplies for it.

The basic failings were in the feed, fire and extraction operations. The intense humidity of the jungles and the mud and water of the Mekong Delta were practically designed by nature to present the ultimate challenge for the M16. The mechanism was not chrome-plated in order to cut costs. Water got inside to corrode the metal parts, leading to frequent stoppages when cartridges failed to load or when a fired cartridge failed to eject.

The propellant filling the cartridges was a low quality black powder supplied by a firm with a reputation for making substandard product. This lead to a great deal of soot buildup in the firing chamber and rifle barrel, adding to the ordinary grunts’ weapon cleaning woes. The rifling in the barrel itself was also tighter than necessary, resulting in a slower rate of fire, higher barrel wear, and providing yet another place for soot to build up.

Finally, a completely unnecessary cleaning port was included in the side of the M16, which offered a handy means by which dirt and water could enter the mechanism. All too often men were found dead after combat clutching their M16 rifle, the weapon rendered useless by clogged and foul mechanisms. In the words of one disgusted officer, the M16 “was about as effective as a muzzle loading musket.”

Congressman James J. Howard of New Jersey went to the floor of the House of Representatives to read a letter from a Marine serving in Vietnam. The Marine claimed many of the casualties his unit suffered in a recent battle were due to malfunctioning M16s. His letter was only one of thousands directed to Congress by the families of serving troops, especially those whose sons had died due to defective M16s.

Forced into action, Congress investigated and found a good deal of corruption behind the scenes such as the propellant contract awarded to the sketchy manufacturer. Some modifications to the rifle’s design, such as the cleaning port and tighter rifling, were required by the Army board.

Once the issues were addressed the M16 went on to become a reliable weapon, and variants are still in use by the US and other armed forces today. Like all firearms it doesn’t care who wields it. The M16 can often be found on either sides of armed conflicts, a tribute to the persuasive selling power of the US military-industrial complex.

Staying Informed Means Cutting the Costs of War…

Iran War Cost Tracker (US Taxpayer Spending) https://iran-cost-ticker.com/

*Numbers That Topple Empires: In just two weeks, Washington has spent over $19 billion on this war! (x.com/Intel_Sky/status/2032822961422352392)
 The Terrifying List of US Losses:
   * 13 Americans killed and 160 wounded.
   * Loss of 4 fighter jets (F-15).
   * Downing of 14 drones (MQ-9 Reaper).
   * Downing of a refueling aircraft (KC-135) and damage to 6 other (KC-135) planes (five of which were hit on the ground at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, representing a miserable defensive failure).
   * Destruction of 4 radars (THAAD) and two radars (AN/GSC-52B).

Iran Hunting Down CIA and US Troops Across Gulf youtu.be/hCi5d4L0cQ8

America’s Rulers F-ing Hate You. https://realleecamp.substack.com/p/the-american-ruling-elite-f-ing-hate

Pentagon Stays Quiet on US Casualties https://news.antiwar.com/2026/03/12/uk-says-us-troops-injured-by-drone-attack-on-base-in-iraq-as-pentagon-stays-quiet-on-us-casualties/

In Tehran, Iranians Struggle to Breathe After U.S.-Israeli Oil Facility Strikes https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-iran-oil-depots-israeli-strikes-toxic-acid-rain-breathing-chemicals/

Crushing the Right to Conscientiously Object https://consortiumnews.com/2026/03/10/crushing-the-right-to-conscientiously-object/

US-Israeli Strikes in Iran Damage More Than 20,000 ‘Civilian Units’ https://news.antiwar.com/2026/03/12/us-israeli-strikes-in-iran-damage-more-than-20000-civilian-units-iranian-red-crescent/

Trump and Netanyahu’s Racism Has Led to Their Defeat by Iran https://euroyankee.substack.com/p/trump-and-netanyahus-racism-has-led

The Epstein Axis is set to carry out the most blatant false flag in history https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/the-most-telegraphed-false-flag-in

UN Security Council Blames Iran https://consortiumnews.com/2026/03/12/watch-un-security-council-blames-iran/

International Law is the Number One Casualty of America’s and Israel’s Illegal War on Iran https://btlonline.org/international-law-is-the-number-one-casualty-of-americas-and-israels-illegal-war-on-iran/

World Council Of Churches Calls On Governments To Hold Israel Accountable https://popularresistance.org/world-council-of-churches-calls-on-governments-to-hold-israel-accountable/

The United States of America: The Greatest Psyop in History https://futuredude.substack.com/p/the-united-states-of-america-the

My Enemies Are Not In Iran https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/my-enemies-are-not-in-iran

ICE Detention Kills Afghanistan War Veteran, 12th Custodial Death This Year https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-detention-kills-afghanistan-war

Someone Told New Mexico to Stop the Search at Zorro Ranch. https://alisav.substack.com/p/someone-told-new-mexico-to-stop-the

All Three Branches Move to Shield Bayer/Monsanto from Liability Amid One of the Largest Cancer Litigations in American History https://kucinichreport.substack.com/p/a-poisoned-politics-poisons-people

Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle Renowned Science Lab https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/climate/ncar-breakup-plan-nasa-noaa.html

They Want To Make It Legal... To Pollute https://www.thebrockovichreport.com/p/they-want-to-make-it-legal-to-pollute

Fukushima at 15 https://thebulletin.org/2026/03/fukushima-at-15-living-with-radioactive-hot-spots-and-stigma/

Reintroduced Espionage Act Reform Bill Honors Daniel Ellsberg https://thedissenter.org/reintroduced-espionage-act-reform-bill-honors-daniel-ellsberg/