This would be a precursor to war.
Very true. This era has all the hallmarks of a prewar era. Not of another brushfire war, but of a real one nasty old fashioned one.
And to cap it off, I believe our oligarchs actually -want- it. And why wouldn’t they? They get emergency war powers to control us, they get fabulous wealth, and they and their families face almost no personal risk unless they choose it.