What is war in the contemporary USA?

A way to keep a large industry fed, providing jobs which otherwise would be outsourced to low-wage countries. The same industry provides the politicians who get to decide over how public funds are to be spent with lucrative positions, enticing them to keep said industry on their side. People often hop from the industry into politics and vice-versa, a practice known as the revolving door between politics and industry.

In many ways this can be compared to the purpose of war in the feudal middle ages where land always needed to be conquered to be given as fiefs to up-and-coming nobility so that nobility would support the current king in his strive to remain in power. Things change but the basic tenet stays the same: those in power want to remain there and will use the means at their disposition to do so.

Well it's certainly nothing to keep the masses occupied. Our latest war got practically zero coverage. And it has nothing to do with secession of the states.

Wanna maybe expand on the point you're trying to make?

We need an excuse to maintain our massive defense budget.

it's strictly about money