Wars are very expensive affairs, not to mention, very destructive, as well as risky, but the reality of the situation, is that America, is in one form or another, declared or not, seemingly always at war, though semantically words like conflict, or insurgency, or terrorism, may be used in place of what is really happening, which is war. In America, wars used to be a collective affair, that is, in the sense that the citizenry of America, were not only subject to being drafted for war, but also working within industries supporting the war; in addition, to making personal sacrifices, as well as mandated sacrifices in regards to material items, gasoline rationing, or food stuffs, so utilized. So too, they were subject to being impressed upon by their government to purchase with their savings, war bonds, in order to do their patriotic duty and to thereby help finance the war.
The last time that this government sold war bonds, was also the last time that Congress formally declared war, which was in World War II, but since that time, America has been involved in many wars, and continues to be involved in many wars, so that, if the America public is not buying bonds, which subsequently allows the government to finance the engine of wartime armament and personnel needs, this signifies that the financing for war is being done through different means. To a certain extent, today's wars are financed through Treasury bond auctions, though these auctions are not specifically earmarked as war bonds; so too, it is obvious that these wars are specifically not being financed through the increase of direct taxation, probably, because doing so, would meet with some vigorous protest.
This means, in effect, that wars, as presently constructed within America, are for the most part, no longer requiring from the general public any sort of sacrifice in order to aid and abet the war effort; nor even the opportunity to purchase war bonds specifically created on behalf of the war effort, but pretty much the wars are self financed in a manner in which, essentially, more debt and higher deficits are generated, of which the government must pay this back, but the actual paying back of that debt, is essentially put off until tomorrow and then tomorrow, and pretty much ultimately stuck upon the shoulders of the present generation or on generations yet unborn.
In point of fact, because wars are no longer financed directly through war bonds, and additional war-time taxes to support such a war do not exist, then the wars that America is fighting are basically financed through smoke and mirrors, of which, one day, somebody, is going to have to pay the piper, because clearly America does not seem to forthrightly recognize that it cannot afford to pay for both "guns and butter", but it accomplishes such, by running incredibly high and irresponsible deficits, while thereby asking virtually nothing in return of its citizenry in support of the wars so being fought.
In point of fact, the reason this country doesn't: "…ask what you can do for your country," is because the more cognizant and knowledgeable the people are about how much America's overseas wars are costing this country, the less inclined the people would be to support those wars, and the more they would question the very need for them. Rather, this government, in its war efforts, runs strictly to serve the interests of the military-industrial complex, for better or for worse.