There are Americans—people like me—who no longer accept the path we’ve been set on. What we’re watching isn’t temporary or accidental. The war machine is a system shaped by ever-expanding defense spending, weak oversight, and political incentives that reward conflict over accountability. And at the center of it is Congress.
Congress is not a bystander in this system—it is the mechanism that sustains it.
If we want a different direction, we have to start paying closer attention to who we’re sending there. Candidates matter, but so do the structures behind them. Look at who funds them. Look at whether their message holds up against their record. And look at whether they’re willing to challenge the system or simply operate within it.
Mr. McGinnis represents the kind of candidate I believe can help move us toward a different path. But more broadly, this isn’t about one person. It’s about voters being more deliberate, more informed, and less willing to accept surface-level messaging at face value.
Because if nothing changes in how we choose representation, nothing changes in what gets funded and the War Machine will be all that is left of the federal government.
Sgt. Brian McGinnis: Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina in the 2026 election
His campaign emphasizes:
Peace & Foreign Policy: As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he opposes U.S. military involvement in conflicts like the 2026 Iran war, declaring, “America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.”
Grassroots Funding: He refuses corporate donations, PAC money, and support from foreign entities, relying solely on individual small donors.
Social Programs: He advocates for universal healthcare as a human right, increased public education funding, and improved access to Veterans Affairs services.
Economic Justice: Supports fair wages, stronger local economies, and reindustrialization through ecologically responsible manufacturing and renewable energy projects in North Carolina.
McGinnis gained national attention on March 4, 2026, when he was forcibly removed from a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, resulting in a broken arm. The incident, in which Senator Tim Sheehy assisted Capitol Police, has become a focal point of his campaign, symbolizing, in his view, the establishment’s suppression of dissent. He faces charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest but has stated the event has only strengthened his resolve.
In April 2026, Donald Trump said it is not possible for the federal government to continue funding programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and daycare, saying responsibility should shift to the states while defense spending should be the only priority.
In practice, that means most federal dollars flow into the defense system—contracts, weapons programs, and overseas commitments—while essential services at home are pushed down to states already under strain. That shift doesn’t just affect budgets; it shapes who benefits. Defense contractors, investors, and the broader military-industrial system remain funded and stable, while states and everyday people face uncertainty and a reduction in wealth, jobs, and education. In other words, non-elites, the lower tiers, will see an increasing reduction in quality of life; a “bottom of the barrel” standard of living.
My blunt takeaway: this is a choice about priorities and influence. When leaders talk about scaling back domestic programs while maintaining or increasing military spending, they’re showing what comes first for them—conflict and global dominance—and what doesn’t: the American people, constitutional responsibilities, and long-term economic stability.
It’s not that the money isn’t there—it’s where it’s being directed, and who that ultimately serves.
Congress is not a bystander in this system—it is the mechanism that sustains it.
Dismantling the War Machine
Year after year, Congress funds and reinforces what has become a modern war machine, one that reaches deep into our economy, distorts our priorities, and operates with far less scrutiny than it demands of others. The consequences aren’t abstract. This shows up in what we don’t build, what we don’t invest in, the immense wealth gap that Congress, media and billionaire donors work 24/7 to justify. For Americans like myself, this isn’t about ideology or profits, it’s about watching our country drift further from its own stated principles, failing Americans at home while weakening its standing abroad.
At this point, it is not about one policy or one politician or one party. It is about the direction of the country itself and how it is slowing eroding the security and economic lives of all of us struggling under the boot of war profiteers and corrupt elected officials and propagandist whose allegiance leans heavily toward Israel.
If we continue to accept a system that prioritizes military spending while asking Americans to absorb the cost at home, then we’re choosing the War Machine; warmongers, Israel influence, and wars-4-profit over the American people and our Constitution—whether we admit it or not. The path forward isn’t complicated, but it does require clarity: we have to pay attention, question what we’re told, and be more deliberate about who we send to represent us. Because nothing changes unless the incentives do—and those only change when voters choose to replace most of the current Congress; especially those who are funded by PACs and billionaires.
