This chapter deals with the rise and influence of the West’s military-industrial complex (MIC) as contributing to the West’s economic decline. The historical development of the MIC is traced, starting with early-twentieth-century interventions and the post–World War II economic boom, to the post–Cold War projects of the War on Terror, the militarization of Africa, NATO expansion, the reshaping of the Middle East and the containment of China. It is shown that the MIC constitutes an oligarchy and, like all oligarchies, uses lobbying, campaign contributions, and control of the mainstream media to expand and consolidate power. The chapter also examines Silicon Valley’s integration into the MIC, driven by the search for new profit opportunities as traditional markets become saturated.