Panaji, Nov 21 (IANS): War is the biggest export of the US, followed by films, according to Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon.

The actor in Susan took a backseat and the activist sprung forth at a press conference held on the sidelines of the 44th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here Thursday.

The Academy award-winning actress launched into a spirited conversation about her activism in the US, which she criticised for promoting war.

"For the US, war is the biggest export ... second maybe movies," she said.

War, she said, was a phenomenon "built into the US economy".

Sarandon, who has donned the hat of a United Nations Goodwill ambassador, said both Democrats and the Republicans in the US were responsible for the country's war fetish. But the military forays in the Middle East, which had taken a heavy toll on the superpower's economy, had now made people wiser, she added.

This learning, she said, had resulted in resistance within the country against the government, which was toying with a military strike on Syria.

She further said that her stand against issues like America-going-to-war had often attracted a lot of ire.

"A lot of stories were written against my children, which were not true. There are also a lot of hate jokes in the US," she said.