Embrace Your Inner Cynic

Cynics have the opportunity to look at things and see them in a different way than most others do. We can be happy, sing Kumbaya, and always look for the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow, but it’s the cynic who sees the clearest.

When our new president is sworn into office and promises on the very first day to end the war in Ukraine, it’s a noble endeavor—a great goal. But does he understand what he’s up against?

True, if wars were to end, many people would be happy. Death and destruction would diminish, and suffering would lessen, as other wars inevitably take over where one conflict left off.

But there are those who would be very upset if the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were to come to a sudden halt.

There’s a lot of money being made by individuals who profit greatly from the mayhem and destruction of war.

This is where Trump has to tread carefully and lightly. He needs to be able to extricate us from overseas wars, stop paying for them, and yet not upset those who profit from these wars right now.

So, what is he going to do? For one, he needs to redirect the spending of money toward building up our own military. He needs to keep those investors in war happy, which means spending billions upon billions for more bombs, tanks, and whatever we can do to keep the ordnance and military assets here in our country.

Defense contractors, weapons manufacturers, and all the industries tied to the machinery of war stand to lose billions if the fighting stops.

But he can’t cut the flow of cash off to those who profit from war. And I am sure he knows it.

He is probably figuring that once the stockpiles are too high in our country, he can start another war somewhere, like in the Koreas or nearby, to keep the bucks flowing to the military contractors of the world.

A fresh war would keep the profits rolling in, the contracts alive, and the war machine humming.

Look, war is war, and it will always exist as long as there are people willing to take what they want by force and those ready to keep what they have with equal force.

Think of all the conquerors throughout history—like Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror, the Conquistadors, Julius Caesar, and Genghis Khan, just to mention a few.

Their conquests were glorified throughout history, as were, the empires they created. Their castles were built from  bloodshed, and yet they are celebrated as heroes. The modern era is no different, except today’s warlords wear suits and make deals in boardrooms instead of battlefields.

But Trump needs to watch his back on this and not end the wars in Ukraine or Gaza too quickly. Unless he can brew something up to replace the cash cows.

The war profiteers don’t fool around, and no one needs to mess with their obscene blood profits.

But we can be sure the Trump strategists know this and will find a middle ground—slowing the carnage overseas, rebuilding our own military and stockpiles, and keeping the war profiteers happy.

Because, in the end, war isn’t just a tragedy. It’s a business. And as long as that remains true, the promise of lasting peace remains a dream.

So go ahead—embrace your inner cynic. You’ll find the view from here is far clearer than you imagined.