The American population refers to the people of the United States who have been affected by the costs of Western foreign policy operations. The author discusses how the American population has been impacted by the financial and human costs of these operations, including the deterioration of public services, the rise in homelessness, and the impact on mental health and education.
The cumulative financial cost of the post-9/11 wars has been estimated at approximately 10 trillion dollars, with this spending funded by American taxpayers. This spending has come at the expense of domestic investment in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and other public services. The opportunity cost of this spending is significant, as resources that could have been used to improve American living conditions were instead directed toward military operations.
The American homeless population has grown substantially, with approximately 770,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2024. This includes a significant number of veterans whose injuries from military service have made stable housing difficult to maintain. The mental health crisis in the United States has also been exacerbated by the same operations, with the opioid crisis resulting in over one million deaths over the past two decades.
The American educational system has been significantly affected by the shift from public funding to student debt financing, resulting in approximately 1.7 trillion dollars in student loan debt held by 45 million Americans. This has led to deferred family formation, home purchases, and medical care for an entire generation of educated workers.
The American healthcare system has failed to provide universal access despite substantial spending on healthcare. Approximately 26 million Americans lack health insurance, and those with inadequate coverage face worse health outcomes than populations in countries with universal healthcare. The resources that could have funded universal healthcare have been directed toward military operations instead.
The American infrastructure has deteriorated due to underinvestment, with the American Society of Civil Engineers consistently rating infrastructure at C-minus or below. This has led to longer commutes, more frequent system failures, and water quality issues, such as the Flint Michigan water crisis.
The American climate adaptation efforts have been substantially defunded by the same spending priorities, leading to increased frequency and severity of climate-related disasters. The resources that would have funded climate adaptation and sustainable energy systems have been directed toward military operations instead.
The American population has also been affected by the broader European confrontation with Russia, which has led to increased energy costs and political pressures within the United States. These costs have been borne by American families, affecting their financial stability and quality of life.
Related: masud.md, capture.md, usa.md, foreign-policy.md, legitimacy-through-omission.md
See Also
usa.md capture.md foreign-policy.md legitimacy-through-omission.md masud.md operational-signature.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md legitimacy-through-contradiction.md legitimacy-through-delegation.md legitimacy-through-exception.md legitimacy-through-exceptionalism.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md projection.md selective-definition.md wealth-capture.md foreign-policy.md intervention.md network.md religion-political.md religion-state.md religion-war.md religion-warfare.md religion.md selective-amplification.md starvation-as-weapon.md wealth-capture.md consistent-principle.md constructed-catastrophe.md [[concepts/