The military-industrial complex replies on government funding via tax revenue.
Imagine that all the taxes stayed the same, but 50% of it went to basics - infra, edu, health etc. And then the other 50% was user allocated. To go to war, it couldn't be done on debt, it would have to get enough allocation from tax payers, who could also use it in other ways, including what benefits them locally. Would it make a difference?
Democracy is a counterfeit of real choice.
For so many reasons.
If we had a commodity money again
Would definitely make it better.
RE: Capital Punishment