I love starship troopers so much
It's clearly intended as a satire on the War on Terror.
Spurred on by an aerial attack on a major city, they declare war on an enemy that lives in deserts. They spread propaganda that depicts their enemy as barbaric and downplays their ability to think. They thought the war would be done with quickly, but after a disastrous first battle, it quickly turns into a quagmire. Eventually, they manage to find the leader who lives underground, capture it, torture it horribly, and declare victory despite more war looming.
Wait, what do you mean it was released in 1997?