War’s Unifying Myth Masks Deep Structural Divides: How External Threats Reinforce Inequality and Polarisation in Western Societies
Original framing: “The war dividend” — Financial Times
Voices from refugee communities, frontline healthcare workers, and anti‑war activists consistently report that war rhetoric marginalises their lived realities, turning policy focus toward defense spending at the expense of social services. Their testimonies expose how the "war dividend" narrative silences demands for housing, mental‑health care, and equitable education, perpetuating systemic neglect.
The allure of a "war dividend" rests on a historic pattern where elites weaponise external threats to mask internal inequities, a tactic that persists across cultures yet yields divergent outcomes.
By foregrounding Indigenous relational security, historical precedents of militarised power, and scientific evidence of polarisation, we uncover that true societal cohesion emerges from inclusive investment in health, housing, and climate resilience rather than from the temporary rallying effect of conflict. Empowering independent threat assessments and amplifying marginalised voices disrupts the trickster inversion that equates war with unity, while cross‑cultural dialogue offers sustainable pathways to collective security. Actors ranging from governments, defence contractors, civil society, and Indigenous governance bodies must coordinate to reconfigure the narrative from one of fear‑driven unity to one of equitable, resilient solidarity.