Why We Fight

Why We Fight examines the military–industrial complex after the Second World War and how it has shaped American foreign policy throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It offers numerous interviews with figures from all levels of government, including senators, congressmen, military officers, and intelligence personnel.

The film guides viewers through the ways in which America has been drawn into foreign conflicts by those in power for personal gain under false pretences, despite warnings from respected military leaders who had witnessed the worst that war has to offer. The 2003 invasion of Iraq is discussed at length, following an examination of multiple American military interventions.

This documentary is a sobering briefing for anyone interested in military history in the post-war era. It explores perspectives ranging from American senators to servicemen and women who joined the conflict in Iraq for a wide variety of reasons. Viewers hear from young Marines who swore an oath of service in order to pay their mother’s medical bills, as well as immigrants who volunteered to disarm improvised explosive devices in exchange for the promise of American citizenship. Why We Fight is a gripping political and military documentary on modern American foreign policy.