“Megalopolis,” a film depicting a massive disaster, seems almost redundant in a world already besieged by real calamities. With widespread famines, forest fires, floods, earthquakes, and conflicts, the line between cinema and reality blurs. It raises the question: amidst these global crises, why do governments allocate funds to military endeavors reminiscent of the Vietnam War era?
The current global landscape is indeed fraught with challenges. Misinformation and climate-related threats are identified as the most severe short-term risks¹. Poverty, food insecurity, and refugee rights are among the top concerns that need immediate attention². Meanwhile, significant funds are directed towards defense budgets and military support, as seen in recent increases in defense spending⁴⁵. This allocation of resources towards military efforts, even as pressing humanitarian issues persist, is a complex and contentious subject that continues to spark debate.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 5/9/2024
(1) These are the biggest global risks we face in 2024 and beyond. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/01/global-risks-report-2024/.
(2) Top 20 Current Global Issues We Must Address – Human Rights Careers. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/current-global-issues/.
(3) Defence getting billions of dollars in new money from Thursday’s budget …. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/defence-department-military-canada-norad-ukraine-nato-1.6410530.
(4) Federal budget’s funding boost for defence spread out over multiple …. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-budget-2024-defence-spending-1.7175110.
(5) What are the issues worrying people around the globe? | World Economic …. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/09/what-worries-the-world-ipsos/.
(6) Why are Americans paying $32m every hour for wars since 9/11?. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/09/afghanistan-us-foreign-wars-congresswoman-barbara-lee.
(7) The Ghost Budget: How U.S. war spending went rogue, wasted billions …. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/policycast/ghost-budget-how-us-war-spending-went-rogue-wasted-billions-and-how-fix-it.
(8) In America, Funding War Is a Smart Investment—but Providing Healthcare …. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/israel-ukraine-war-funding/.