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The Disasters of War. Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” Doctrine Conducive to Worldwide Famines…

By Manlio Dinucci | Global Research | May 26, 2026

The White House announced:

“The Trump Administration’s doctrine of peace through strength has strengthened alliances and established America as an indispensable force for global stability.

As these achievements mount up, we have unequivocally entered a Golden Age of American Greatness, which promises even greater opportunities and security for the future”.

Adhering to the “peace through strength” doctrine, the Trump Administration increased US military spending from $860 billion in the 2025 financial year to $1.45 trillion in the 2027 financial year. This figure is further increased by $488 billion allocated to the Department of Veterans Affairs and other military appropriations, bringing the US’s annual military spending to over $2 trillion — more than a quarter of the Federal Government’s total public expenditure. Official budgets vastly underestimate the true cost of wars: the Pentagon claims that the war against Iran has so far cost $29 billion, but Forbes magazine estimates the cost at nearly $200 billion.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which the United States continues to enforce by using its warships to block the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, prevents Asian countries in particular from receiving the oil and gas they need from Iran and other countries in the Persian Gulf. These resources are increasingly being supplied to Asian countries by the United States at much higher prices. The rise in energy prices has led to a rise in the prices of agricultural products, with disastrous consequences.

The World Food Programme predicts that rising food prices will reduce access to food for poor households that were already barely able to afford a minimum diet before the conflict. For the 53 countries for which data is available, the number of people suffering from acute hunger is expected to rise by 45 million – compared with a pre-conflict baseline of 318 million – if the conflict continues into the second quarter of this year.

Overall, more than 360 million people could face severe food insecurity by 2026. This means that millions of people could go hungry. In this way, the war is causing far more casualties than those caused by the bombings. Others will die from the effects of pollution caused by US and Israeli bombing of Iranian oil refineries. An oil slick has reached Shidvar, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise waters that provide a refuge for endangered sea turtles and dolphins. It is one of Iran’s most important protected nature reserves. Large dark streaks of oil now snake along the white sandy beaches. Birds, turtles and crabs can be seen trapped in piles of tar.

At the same time, the risk of nuclear war is increasing, both in the Middle East – where Israel, the only country in the region to possess nuclear weapons, could use them in a war against Iran – and in Europe, where the United States has deployed nuclear weapons aimed at Russia. Finland has stated its intention to lift the restrictions prohibiting the presence of nuclear weapons on its territory, in order to align the country with NATO’s ‘deterrence’ policy following its accession to the Alliance in 2023.  This means that US nuclear weapons – such as the new B61-12 nuclear bombs already deployed in Italy and other European countries – could be deployed in Finland, close to St Petersburg and other major urban centres. The Kremlin has warned that nuclear weapons in Finland would pose a very serious threat to Russia. It therefore conducted nuclear exercises from 19 to 21 May, involving 64,000 military personnel and 7,800 nuclear-capable missile launchers.

May 26, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Economics, Militarism | United States