See also the work of Anthony Sutton:

The “lying scum” ...?
Once our political system became about whoever had the most money almost surely wins, we were bound to get a lot of that because there’s LOTS of money to be made in the Military Industrial Complex. Not simply for the people at the top, but for the people with “regular” jobs at home working for Grumman, McDonald Douglas, Ratheon, Mattel ... the list is truly endless.
However, in order for this money, these jobs to continue, there HAD to be “wars” that needed their output.

Wars with No Clear Objective, with No Clear End Point, with No Point At All BUT that could be pointed to as having some Moral Purpose ... where We were bringing Hope and Civilization and Peace Everlasting to a “People” ... that’s how we were sold the concept. “Limited War” became the new touch phrase.

Now we established “teams”, rules, guidelines, referees, and playing fields.

Korea was the first try at this kind of thing and ended as a disappointment because, while there wasnt actually a serious intent to “win”, it wound up as a split field with neither side willing to yield.

Vietnam was our first time on the field that had no idea what the objective was going to be. I think
Kennedy was looking at another Korea type resolution but agreed to go into it with accepted limitations ... it was also the first time in modern history that we couldn’t distinguish the enemy from the civilians most of the time. We also had no idea what we’d do with it if we “won” ... I mean, who were we going to hand it over to? They barely had a government to speak of. We got pulled into it because we “owed” it to the French who had ruled it as a colony but had bailed out. We were stuck with the concept that we were fighting “Communist Aggression” ... and they were the “Home Team”. There was nothing to “win” except possibly another stalemate like Korea. However, what Eisenhower called the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) made out just fine (along with all their employees)

How much of that money got poured into Our Government in assuring that the “right” type of politicians were bought or made beholden to it? If you look carefully you can still see hundreds of them still in place. How else do you think some of these people have been in office 30, 40 or more years? The MIC made Our Political System into a “Carrot and Stick” routine ... who could boast about the biggest ability to “Bring Home the Bacon”.

The Middle East became the new “playing field” as Vietnam stumbled to its final ... but completely predictable ... end.

The “Middle East” was so much more suitable for the purposes. Several different countries with shifting alliances and unknown borders, several different cultures that are basically unknown, needed assets (oil), relatively poorly defined governments and a generally belligerent population ... not to mention Islam which simply made it easier to target the area.
Anyone with a bit of history should be able to recognize that this area is this world’s longest running war theatre. Ur, Sumer, Assyria, Egypt, Hebrews, Macedonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Christians, Islam, British, French, Russians ... all these, and a multitude of others besides, have been there and have left little more than bleached bones in their passing.

The MIC needed little but to point out that Our Access to Oil was threatened ... not to mention the nutcase Ayatollah helping that concern ... and Jimmie Carter ... and the MIC was easily able to get us to do that incredibly stupid thing ... take a swing at the World’s Biggest and Longest Lasting Actual Tar Baby.

This place that was so long ago the Cradle of Civilization but has deliberately, due to the Garbage Theology of Islam, thrown aside the veneer of civilization, having no interest in Progress outside of more efficient weaponry and its potential to destroy the World completely ... that essentially desires nothing more than to reduce the Entire World to mud brick houses ...
We of the Civilized World cannot understand them. We think we can bring them forward into Our Time while ignoring the fact that they are struggling to bring US down to theirs.

Much of what we do ... what we tell ourselves ... is altruistic. We are trying to “help”.
What do we seek to do for them? Build roads? Give their few “enlightened” governments a chance?

It has come to a point where we no longer need their oil.
We need only to ensure that they do not gain sufficient destructive capability to destroy the World ... which is what their Theology advocates.

Liars, Corruption, Veniality, Greed?
Yes. It is all of that ... that will be found anywhere massive amounts of money can be found ... and the MIC will continue to ensure that.
However, there are many people out there who really are trying to do the “Right Thing” ... misguided true ... but trying to do what they see as “Right”.

Recently I did a similar post on here, and it didn't exactly get warm reception.