'Moral rot': Veteran says America is becoming 'a greed-driven empire' under Trump

In an article published in Salon Sunday, retired U.S. Air Force officer and historian William J. Astore argued that under President Donald Trump, America has lost its moral compass and become a militaristic empire in precipitous decline.

Drawing on deep convictions formed during his two decades of service, Astore emphasizes his belief that the United States must remain a “nation of laws” — not ruled by special interests, oligarchs, or monarchs.

He argued that war must always be declared by Congress, in the people’s name, and that the military should be a citizen‑soldier force, not a detached elite driven by a warrior ethos. He added that America must function as a republic grounded in moral values, not as a militarized empire driven by greed.

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"And above all, the United States should be a republic ruled by law and shaped by sound moral values, not a greed-driven empire fueled by militarism," Astore wrote.

He decried the United States’ current international posture: complicit in what he calls genocide in Gaza, selling weapons to authoritarian regimes with abysmal human rights records, and waging wars without Congressional authority, citing a 12‑day assault on Iran, and noting that Trump’s second term has already delivered nearly as many airstrikes (including in Yemen and Somalia) in its first five months as President Biden did in four years.

He said the president was basking in record trillion‑dollar war budgets, a defense secretary exalting warrior values and a compliant Congress enabling catastrophic violence.

"Signs of moral rot are everywhere. Our president, who would like to be known for his budget cuts, nonetheless giddily celebrates a record trillion-dollar war budget. Our secretary of defense gleefully promotes a warrior ethos. Congress almost unanimously supports or acquiesces in the destruction of Gaza. Images from the region resemble bombed-out Stalingrad in 1942 or Berlin in 1945. Meanwhile, for more than two decades now, America’s leaders have claimed to be waging a successful global “war on terror” even as they fuel terror across the globe. What do they think all those U.S. weapons are for — spreading peace?" Astore wrote.

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The imagery from Gaza, he observed, resembles bombed‑out Stalingrad in 1942 or Berlin in 1945—a haunting symbol of unchecked militaristic destruction.