"Out of its nearly 250-year history, the U.S. has spent a vast majority of time at war or involved in significant military conflicts, with some analyses suggesting the U.S. has been in a state of conflict for over 90% of its existence, totaling around 225-230 years, factoring in major wars, American-Indian conflicts, and post-9/11 engagements. While only a few wars were formally declared (Revolutionary, 1812, Mexican-American, WWI, WWII), the continuous military presence and numerous interventions mean it's rarely been truly at peace.
Key Figures & Context
High Percentage: Some sources cite figures like 227 of 244 years (93%) or 228 of the last 245 years (since 1776) as being in conflict.
Broad Definition of "War": These high numbers often include:
Declared Wars: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I & II.

Ongoing Conflicts: The long American-Indian Wars (1783-1924) are sometimes counted as one continuous struggle, adding decades.
Post-9/11 Era: The "War on Terror," including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, has kept the U.S. engaged in continuous, if sometimes low-intensity, warfare. 
Why So Many Years?

Interventions & Minor Conflicts: Beyond major wars, the U.S. has engaged in numerous interventions and smaller-scale conflicts, from the Barbary Wars to Panama.

Continuous Engagement: After 9/11, the U.S. entered a period where generations of Americans have never known a time without active U.S. military involvement somewhere in the world. 

In essence, while formal declarations are few, the U.S. has been almost constantly involved in military action, making the periods of true peace very brief".

Lyrics:
And the war machine marches on
Forever wars, forever wars
An entire history of conflict
And the war machine marches on 

And the war machine marches on
The thirst for power is never ending 
Drones are buzzing bombs are dropping 
And the war machine marches on

And the war machine marches on
Humans are the collateral 
For just getting in the way 
As the war machine marches on

And the war machine marches on
The government says it's for our protection 
Just a master of disguise 
And the war machine marches on

And the war machine marches on
Power, resources and domination 
Control and influence the goal
And the war machine marches on

And the war machine marches on
It never ends, it never ends
Desperation everywhere 
And the war machine marches on 
And the war machine marches on 
And the war machine marches on 

This is the end
This is the end 
This is the end

Music and Lyrics by Len Bennati FM Folk 2026
Mastered Track: Distrokid Mixea
Image: Damien Knight

War Machine

“What makes a song is the singer, while what makes a singer is their dedication to music and their inner feelings.”   Dimash Qudaibergen

I have enjoyed music for as long as I can remember and cannot remember a day of not either singing or listening to music. I am self-taught when it comes to playing guitar but what I most enjoy is singing which I have been doing since around age 18. Now retired singing and playing the guitar is now just a hobby and something I do to help pass the time. Have always  loved the sound of a Martin guitar. Currently been playing a Road Series DR S2 for about 6 years. Thanks for listening. I also enjoy discovering the sounds of other talented musicians and singers here on SoundCloud.

Hello 

This will be at least my 4th try at writing a bio. so here goes.

I play Acoustic Guitar and sing. I write songs about a lot of people and things.  I really only play one guitar. Its an Alvarez that is made out of Mahogany. and spruce. I had a pickup installed in it.  The pickup is a " Fishman ". Id like very much to meet Mr or Ms Fishman some day and share fishing stories..

Any how... I record on Garage Band. I almost never  use the candy drum track... because Im not good at it.

I started playing Guitar at about twelve years old. My Brother Jimmy gave me a beat up Silvertone with a few strings missing. He gave it to me the day before he left for California with other hippies to spread love and peace and eat out of dumpsters.

I played pretty much non stop. I played the silvertone down to three strings. I had them tied together after they broke..  A

About a year or so after that my dear Mother bought me a brand new Alvarez with all six stings on it. It was beautiful! It was tiger maple... I was thrilled!  I wrote a lot of music at that age but no songs with lyrics. I hooked up with a bunch of guitarists in another town over and that's when things really opened up. We smoked, drank and played as often as we could. There was no limit. 

Skipping the specifics of all that teenaged crazyness. I got to working in the trades with my guitarist friend Tony. We called ourselves the  " piss poor painters " We wrote songs about that but never played them.

Life became different and I met my wife.. introduced by Tony ironically , and we had adventures together! We are still together and have a big family with kids that are getting older but are still good. A couple of Grandkids. That period of my life I put music away.. for 22 years,

More Irony: in the year 2000, My brother came over to our house and left a pretty cheap Carlo Robelli guitar. The night he left it I stayed up all night and wrote a song called " Lets get together " . It was one of the first songs I had ever written with lyrics. Of course it was a song about the passing of time and they way things were when I was younger.

From there, I pretty much wrote non stop. It turns out I had a lot of shit on my mind. It was mid-life. Like a steam roller, words and music plowed a path through my life up to then. 

I really dont know how many songs ive written since 2000.. but its a lot. I just wrote them and figured out how to record them. It took months to learn how to record one shitty lo-fi track and post it on the internet. I

I was a BIG STAR ! only no one knew it yet.. I posted on a site called acidplanet.com. My profile name was " Greenflea " Acidplanet is Long since out of business.. but for about 7 years I developed friendships with people all over the world.  Co-wrote some tunes. Had some tunes stolen by bandits..but didn't give a shit. I ended up making a CD with Carl Cutruff of New Jersey. He was a producer who took a liking to my songs. The CD was called " Always a Good Time ". It was never released. It is a good representation of what a good producer can turn a lowfi singer songwriter's  songs into. But not necessarily what I wanted my songs to be.
I began to play at open mics in about 2007 and 8.. One night I played at this bar owned by an old friend called " The Hilltop ". There were a lot of local musicians there and I did take some people by surprise with my songs. That night.. I had the makings of a band. Rick and Lumpy.. Bass and Harmonica.. and eventually Carl Heilgeist the drummer.  We played quite a few gigs. But we split up ... which I wont go into. LOL

But eventually I got together again with Rick and Larry, and we had a drummer for a while. All the while I kept writing songs. 

Im still going strong as a writer.. but honestly, Im slowing down because.. well.. I really need to record what I have written so far in case I lick the bucket unexpectedly.. which does happen to people now and then. 
Now, me personally? I do have Religious views and political views but I vowed never to put them in songs. Because nobody really cares it seems, until they find someone who hates the same things  as they do. Then it becomes negative. Since music is one of the only things that can bring us together, even when we don't speak the same language, we should try to keep it real. By real I mean pure self expression about something you love or, if you must, about some trouble in the past or present that does not name someone else as the bad guy.

So here I am.. new years day 2026. What to do? Well this year is going to be the year of real collaboration. Im looking to find folks who want to work on creating music as in cover tunes of people who want to exchange ideas in the form of music and words. Im open to collaborate in any way I can but as ive said, I rlly only play an acoustic guiter and sing.

thats me...

I hope you enjoy my songs. I know I will enjoy what others around the world have to offer. My favorite thing to listen to is a novice writer with words and music.. just pure expression from the soul as best they can. 

We really need each other. We need ears that understand why we do this.. because I really dont know why I feel the need to do this. I still dont quite understand why I sit and play and write.. just for the sake of it.  If I tell friends and family about it.. or tried to get them to a gig.. they go silent and change the subject 😂  Anyhow.

What about you?

Latest Updates: 
If your music on SC is AI generated, at least have the decency to make that clear on your profile or on the track.
Projects for 2026 - More 432Hz tracks and exploration of which sounds produce the best effects and harmonics. Am definitely convinced now by the power of the magic frequency. Watch this space. Also lots more new work coming up, hoping to hit that magical 2000 track total soon. Also best of 2025 Anthology collection will be available from January 2026, featuring 5 CDs of the very best sounds from last year.
Seasons Greetings to all my followers and friends, thank you for all your support throughout 2025. Hope 2026 brings you all much joy and peace. All the very best, Ian
Headphones are recommended on my work to allow the full effect. 
Over 1800 Tracks now on my channel, making music on here since 2015.
Have been remastering some of my 'unloved' tracks from the past here on SC - music which has not received as many plays as I would have expected. Maybe 2nd time around your might like it.
The 2025 remastered tracks are being readied for my best of 2025 album in 2026, available January 2026.
I do not use AI on any of my work, just blood sweat and tears, and a lot of emotion/feelings. The reason I have so much music on SC is that I love making music and it is my life. Also I love to share my work with you all, please enjoy.
Have recently discovered some old tracks which I did back in 2009 but have never been previously released or worked on further. Decided to let them see the light of day, unedited and unpolished. Hope you enjoy them and can see where my humble beginnings started.
Also new for Autumn 2025, a collection of classical piano pieces which I composed back in 2010, in memory of my late father who inspired me to play the keyboard in the first place. Under the title of Magician In Private, hope you will allow my indulgence into a special world of just simple piano, no frills.
Please checkout my vast collection of playlists. All my best music is on there in one place. Is free to listen to or sleep with.
From 1st June 2025, celebrating 10 years of KORG KRONOS music with lots of brand new music showcasing the wonders of this iconic workstation in all it's glory. Also as a nod to the release of the KRONOS 3, which will take KORG into the next generation.
All my albums in full quality are available on Bandcamp, please check out the link below.
Have recently taken a short holiday to recharge my batteries and top up my creative juices. Thank you to all my followers for your continued support and encouragement, means the world to me.
Over 10K minutes uploaded, over 1500 tracks - am sure there is something in there for everybody to enjoy. I love making music. Hope it matters to you.
Am posting some Jarre sounding pieces as homage to my lifelong hero of electronic music, using some of the sounds and instruments he has used along the way. Jar of Jarre is my collection of memorable sounds which have changed the way we appreciate modern electro.
Keep an eye out for my new collection of 2024 Remastered best of tracks, coming soon.
New year, new start. Back on the search for good music and inspiration. Will be featuring a lot of my older work remastered this year, seems like a long time since I began my composing journey back in 2000.
Happy New Year to all my followers, May 2025 be filled with musical magic. 
Thank you for all your kind comments and support throughout 2024 I do appreciate it. Stay safe and love each other.
All my remastered best tunes from 2015 to 2023 are now available to buy on Bandcamp.
Am back to making regular music now but sorry no Christmas songs this year. This time of year is very hard for me as it is when my father became very ill and died in the new year 2010. I still miss him very much but hope he would be proud of my musical journey, he is my number one inspiration.
Just a quick personal note on AI and music. I think it is not a good thing for the creative side of music and a lot of it comes without feelings or soul. Creativity is a gift, and should be greatly valued, cherished and nurtured. Music is what makes us human and can never be replaced by a computer.
Finished remastering up to and including 2023 now. Has been a mammoth task but well worth the effort. Next year I shall be working on a remastered series of my pre KORG days 2000 to 2008, in 8 volumes, as well as celebrating in style my 10 years of KRONOS magic, can't wait for 2025.
Have now amassed over 1000 tracks on SC (that's over 8000 minutes of music) and it has been a blast sharing them with you all. Next year 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of the start of my KORG journey.
Am currently putting together a remastered Anthology collection of all my best tracks from 2015 onwards. 2015 consists of a 3 volume set (Now available on Bandcamp). 2016 consists of a 4 volume set. (Also available on Bandcamp). 2017 consists of a 4 volume set. (Available on Bandcamp) 2018 consists of a 4 volume set. (Also available on Bandcamp). 2019 consists of a 4 volume set. (Now available on Bandcamp). 2020 consists of a 3 volume set (now available on Bandcamp).
If you would like to listen to more of Magician, especially retro older tracks please checkout Bandcamp (see link below).
Have recently been rediscovering some of my older music pre KORG days and remastering for uploading to my cloud. Hope you like. Seems such a long time ago now.
I have been lucky to have music in my life, and now the time to explore how it can affect other people. I have discovered many new talented artists on SC and am happy to encourage and support their work; from small beginnings come great things. Please be inspired to be your best, inspire others too, encourage those who lack the inner courage to move forward, and together we can make music make a difference in all our lives.
Am spending a lot more time on my music now since retiring from work in July 2020. Always learning new techniques and honing my craft. Am comfortable now with all chord sequences throughout the scales and loving improvising with the help of my mighty KORG still. Am still trying to give my full support and encouragement to all SC users and some latest (you know who you are), are developing nicely. Be good to one another, be gracious to others, leave your ego out of your life and above all else remember there is always someone worse off than yourself. 
Please be kind to each other, to be happy with our lot without jealousy or greed; to give without asking the cost; to love as if there is no tomorrow; to share and inspire others who may be less fortunate than us; most of all to enjoy life for the joy of living, for we know not what the morning brings - stay safe my friends, be strong and always stay positive; remember life changes - DON'T let it change you!!  
Music is my life - has helped me through many dark places, is a big part of who I am. I put my heart and soul into every single piece of music I produce. I have found many wonderful friends on SC and many exciting talented people.  Been writing and producing music now for 40 years plus. Specialised in electronic based orchestral compositions. I have created my own genre which I call 'electrorchestration'.
Favourite artists/bands include Gary Numan, Little Boots, Jools Holland, Eno, Edgar Froese (1944-2015), Jordan Rudess, Kebu, Madis, Keith Emerson (1944-2016), Rick Wakeman, Richard Wright (1943-2008), Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, M83, Public Service Broadcasting, Dream Theater, ELP, Yes and Mystery to name but a few.
Click on link below to Bandcamp for more music from my collection

Hi! ☺️ I am an amateur singer/songwriter with a lot of passion for singing and Music.  I mostly sing originals,  but also covers . I like to write lyrics with meaning, something people can relate to. Not necessaraly my own experiences, it can be something i heard, seen or something someone  told me...
I also make music in GarageBand with small loops I put together. And I have much fun doing this 🙃
I am very impressed with how many talented people there is on Soundcloud! And so much love and kindness!
Thank you all for listening,  likes, reposting and comments! It really means a lot to me❤️
(My own originals sounds best with ear phones )
I also have a YouTube channel with the same nick name 🎵
Take care!🥰

(And I don't use AI at all! )

There’s a treasure down deep in this hinterland
To find it, plug your nose, feel the dirt on your hands
A word,a rhyme, the message from a song, it stands
my rock n roll Rosetta Stone 



Update (January 2, 2026). 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MagLpl21qdY
I’ve posted the entire suite “In case nothing happens” on YouTube, including part 8, that is still missing here, accompanied by a very simple video.


Hello! I’m a university professor of history who enjoys playing guitar and piano/keyboard, and occasionally composing — unpretentiously, just for fun. I’ve been here for at least 10 years, but only recently have I started using the platform for something other than just external digital storage.
Most of my recordings (made with a KorgD8, Audacity, and more recently Reaper for MIDI and the Spitfire Audio libraries) are entirely homemade and decidedly imperfect. My music includes old songs (all written back in the last century; here I’ve only shared the ones I’ve reworked in recent years) as well as both old and new instrumentals.
Thanks for stopping by and giving something a listen; in the description you’ll often find explanatory notes or translations of the lyrics.

Here I’ve discovered a community of talented musicians and songwriters, and plenty of beautiful music to enjoy. Whenever I like, comment, or repost a track, it’s always the result of attentive listening. For the same reason, I’m not interested in trading empty “likes” without real engagement, and I won’t reply to messages from would-be promoters — follower counts don’t matter to me in the slightest.

Update (2024, September 9). Completed the "AI & (fake) songwriting project". Here: https://soundcloud.com/mick-hansan 

I've posted some 'live' homemade performance here: https://www.instagram.com/michele_ansani/