## The Business of War: How Five Corporations Profited from Afghanistan’s Ruin
History often hides a cold reality behind the veil of "geopolitics." For Afghanistan, the "War on Terror" wasn't just a conflict; it was a **$2.3 trillion industry** fueled by blood and tax dollars.
### From the "Paris of Central Asia" to a Proxy Battlefield
In the 1960s, Afghanistan thrived with a stable currency and a booming capital. However, global powers soon turned it into a chessboard. Through **Operation Cyclone**, billions were funneled into the region, not for development, but to weaponize extremism against Soviet influence.
### The $2.3 Trillion Receipt
When the U.S. returned in 2001, the mission shifted from capturing targets to sustaining a **War Economy**. According to Brown University, the financial scale was staggering, yet 60-70% of these funds never reached Afghan soil. Instead, they recycled back into the pockets of the "Big Five" defense giants:
* **Lockheed Martin**
* **Raytheon**
* **Boeing**
* **General Dynamics**
* **Northrop Grumman**
While "Ghost Schools" and useless infrastructure were built on paper, private contractors outnumbered soldiers, charging $300 just to deliver a single gallon of fuel.
### The Bottom Line
War is no longer just a political failure; it’s a high-margin business. As long as destruction generates dividends, the world will always find its next "battlefield."
#Afghanistan #WarEconomy #Geopolitics #FinancialHistory