So much money to protect nations… from the people who need help

2025-05-31 16:45

The world is turning into something I don’t recognise, and certainly not something I like.

Every year, governments invest staggering sums into the military and surveillance sectors, tanks, drones, border control systems, biometric tracking, and all sorts of infrastructure designed to “defend” national territories. But who are they really protecting against?

Too often, it’s not about hostile armies or real military threats. It's about keeping out those who are fleeing war, famine, climate disaster, or political persecution. In other words, people who need help.

Rather than address the causes of migration, poverty, exploitation, collapsing ecosystems, or conflict (frequently made worse by powerful nations themselves), the response is to build walls, fund patrols, and criminalise movement. The narrative of “security” turns vulnerable populations into threats.

Yet if the same amount of money went into supporting communities, housing, education, infrastructure, local economies, diplomacy, the outcomes would be radically different. Safer, fairer, more stable societies. Helping people where they are or where they arrive is not only more humane, it’s also more sustainable in the long term.

But let's stay grounded: this won't happen anytime soon. The war industry is deeply entrenched. It feeds on fear, profit, and geopolitical games. As long as borders are worth more than lives, budgets will follow accordingly.