At some point, we have to stop pretending that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) relentless push to escalate the conflict in Ukraine is about “defending democracy.” It isn’t. What it is about is the same thing it’s always about in Washington: political power, defense contractor profits, and keeping the cameras pointed his way.
This war certainly doesn’t help Ukrainian nor Russian interests. It doesn’t help the Ukrainian men who’ve fled the country (over 1 million at this point, according to the BBC ) or those literally dragged kicking and screaming off the streets and sent to die at the front. (While the sons of the wealthy and corrupt leaders safely dance and drink the night away in exclusive nightclubs in Kiev.) But it does keep Lindsey Graham on TV, keeps the campaign donations flowing from defense contractors, and keeps his brand as a “national security hawk” alive and well.
Sadly, none of this is new. It’s the same tired script we’ve seen play out over and over:
Iraq: Sold to the American public on the claim of “weapons of mass destruction” and the promise of liberating the Iraqi people. What it actually delivered was the deaths of hundreds of thousands, trillions of American taxpayer dollars spent, and huge profits for the defense industry and Beltway consultants. Meanwhile, politicians like Graham rode the wave of wartime patriotism straight into re-election campaigns and TV hits.
Afghanistan: Two decades of politicians talking about “freedom” and “nation-building,” all while our troops died and billions poured into private contractors. Schools and roads built at outrageous costs often fell apart or never opened. Pallets of cash simply disappeared. Weapons and equipment left behind. And when it finally ended, it ended in chaos—while the war hawks had already moved on to the next staged conflict.
Libya: Graham and his fellow interventionists pushed for regime change under the banner of “humanitarian intervention.” The result? A failed state, open-air slave markets, and a breeding ground for terrorism. Once again, defense contractors got paid, and politicians got to claim they were standing up for freedom—never mind the usual ruin they left behind.
Syria: The same crew demanded deeper U.S. involvement, no-fly zones, and billions more in arms shipments. All in the name of “stopping Assad”, but with no plan for what came next. The outcome? Endless bloodshed, refugee crises, and ISIS rising from the chaos—all while defense firms and “security consultants” raked in billions. The all too typical pattern of the US “experts” replacing one bad guy with a worse guy.
Iran: Lindsey Graham never misses a chance to talk up military confrontation with Iran, whether it’s saber-rattling over nuclear programs or openly calling for strikes. It plays great on cable news, keeps him in the spotlight, and makes sure the defense industry knows exactly who’s fighting to keep them funded. All that is ever missing from Graham‘s TV appearances are his suits being decked out like a NASCAR vehicle in the logos of those contractors and lobbying firms who sponsor his aggressions.
And now, it’s Ukraine. Once again, Graham is calling for escalation—more weapons, more money, more conflict—without ever explaining what victory looks like, who pays the price or any timeline for an exit strategy. On one hand he claims Russia is hopelessly bogged down in the eastern Ukraine while it almost the same breath hysterically asserts that Putin will soon be forcibly taking the capitals of Germany, France and England!
He’s not the one facing conscription in Kyiv, or worrying about the debt load on future generations of Tennesseans to fund his blank check form of “diplomacy”. But he is the one getting media hits, campaign checks, and political relevance.
It’s reasonable—no, it’s necessary—to ask: who really benefits? Because it’s not the Ukrainian people, who see their cities reduced to rubble and their young men forced into uniforms and body bags. It is not the Russians who are portrayed in some stereotypical Cold War black and white version of a James Bond movie. And it’s not American families who foot the endless bills.
The real winners are the same as always: defense contractors, Beltway consultants, and politicians like Lindsey Graham, who have turned perpetual war into a career and personal business model.
Every missile, bomb or bullet funded by U.S. taxpayers is another reminder: for them endless war isn’t a failure…it’s the plan! And while Graham poses as a champion of democracy, the real cost is paid in blood abroad and in dollars here at home.
Let’s call it what it is: a cynical, shameful, and deeply profitable racket. Lindsey Graham, acting as the Grifter in Chief, is always right at the center of it, while escaping both accountability and honest exposure.
Steve Gill is a political analyst, commentator, and publisher of Tri-Star Daily.
