A militaristic society encourages blind obedience to authority, promotes security-based fears over critical thinking, prioritizes violent over peaceful methods of conflict resolution and problem solving, consumes the greater portion of its resources for the military, diminishes our overall quality of life, turns us away from developing the true economic, social and environmental bases of national security, thus threatening the long-term well-being of citizens and of our democracy.

As of May 2010, taxpayers in Wisconsin will pay $16.7 billion for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:
291,116 Elementary School Teachers for One Year

“Militarism consumes the strongest and most productive elements of each nation. Militarism swallows the largest part of the national revenue. Almost nothing is spent on education, art, literature and science compared with the amount devoted to militarism in times of peace, while in times of war everything else is set at naught; all life stagnates, all effort is curtailed; the very sweat and blood of the masses are used to feed this insatiable monster--militarism. Under such circumstances, it must become more arrogant, more aggressive, more bloated with its own importance. If for no other reason, it is out of surplus energy that militarism must act to remain alive; therefore it will seek an enemy or create one artificially. In this civilized purpose and method, militarism is sustained by the state, protected by the laws of the land, is fostered by the home and the school, and glorified by public opinion. In other words, the function of militarism is to kill. It cannot live except through murder”.

- Emma Goldman