War and Generating Profits

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

I’ve been told through few history books that wars generates profits. In past, kings and rulers have prolonged wars in order to make money.

I want to know how this process of money making through war works?

2

Re: War and Generating Profits

Wars need weapons, someone is going to make those weapons and they're going to make a profit selling them to the government.

3

Re: War and Generating Profits

I am a weapons manufacturer and business has been slow. So I choose a candidate who is pro-war and fund his election campaign. The candidate wins and now he's indebted to me. I convince him to start a war and sign a weapons contract. The taxpayers get screwed, I make a ton of money.

4

Re: War and Generating Profits

In the past (until about 1960) was was profitable through looting and or seizing land.

5

This still happens Hareem

6

Re: War and Generating Profits

That isn't relevant to her question - her question is about how the kings and rulers make money through war, rather than the supporters of the kings and rulers.

7

Re: War and Generating Profits

In the king's case, he himself own the ordinance factor, so he doesn't even have to invest in a campaign. Wars are an excuse to raise taxes.

8

Re: War and Generating Profits

President Bush # 1 outing in first Gulf War made Clinton get the booming economy going in his era. hmm.

9

Re: War and Generating Profits

How so?

10

When weapons are made...there has to be a justification to use them..and if there isn't one..then one is easily concocted.

11

Re: War and Generating Profits

weapon sales does not an economy make.

fight a war for some dumb governments in oil rich lands. (aka kuwait).

bill the war costs to the same govt.

sign on all rebuilding contracts to american corporations with zero competition. nice prices.

have the contractors buy all their equipment made my other american companies, who contracts it all out to china.

get the oil industry preferred access to oil fields. <3

oil industry buys all equipment and specialized manpower via more amreeki corporations.

convince the dumb government they need foreign troops present to ensure no such event repeats.

again bill the govt for troops servicing.

12

Re: War and Generating Profits

looks very convincing. And it does make sense. However, look what Google Abbu Ji found for me :hehe:

Article says it’s a myth of West. another west conspiracy!

Are Wars Good for the Economy?

13

Re: War and Generating Profits

everyone said that during Bush # 2 era. They cited all that Bush # 1 gulf war era and Clinton’s time of prosperity. I have lived through that time but I was too small to understand all this at that time.

So, I have been looking for that economic boost ever since Obama uncle became president :bummer:

14

Re: War and Generating Profits

In older times, wars lead to plunder of resources from the defeated states.

Even now, without plundering and seizing foreign lands, Keynesian economists think that wars oil the economic engine. When governments spend, they create jobs increasing spending power of people increasing expenditure by people on goods and services increasing demand for those goods and services leading to overall increase in GDP. If part of war machine making organization is your vice president, then there are some personal gains too :wink:

In words of a Nobel Prize winning economist: Oh! What A Lovely War! - NYTimes.com

15

Re: War and Generating Profits

Controlling over a country (by war) will not immediately leave another country to get into profit but surely maybe after five, ten, twenty or more years it will takes to generate profile that country.

16

Re: War and Generating Profits

I'll give a present day example..

Pentagon gets billions without audit for "War on Terror"... for a lot of this money the generals involved are not answerable to how they spent this money. Otherwise if they drink a cup of coffee from tax payers money they have to give explanations.. The same Generals are responsible to end the problem of terrorism through aggressive means..

They have no intention or desire that the problem should end. It is suspected that they secretly finance the militants to keep the fire burning.. because no problem no money.. end of business..

They ally with Generals from Pakistani side.. who themselves have a lucrative business going on. There are more than 50,000 NATO containers missing in transit in Pakistan which started from Karachi port but never reached Torkham check post for onward journey to Afghanistan. It is suspected that these containers carry all sorts of smuggled goods for consumption in Pakistan including Alcohol. It is estimated that more than 200 billion rupees of alcohol is consumed every year in Pakistan. When Pakistan stopped the NATO containers a few months ago, the price of liquor in black market went up by 100 percent in Pakistan.. Keep mullahs active to ban alcohol in Pakistan.. business through illegal channels flourishes.. alcohol is available every where in the country to keep the consumers happy.. government does not get any tax.. billions for the Generals who control the supply chain..

So it is a mis conception that money is made through weapons only. It opens all sorts of opportunities for people who are executing these wars.. to start a war they need a problem.. no conflict no money.. and if there is no problem it must be created to start all this lucrative cycle..

Obama sincerely wanted to withdraw forces from Afghanistan when he was first elected. The Generals just created environment-situations in which he was unable to end this senseless war. Whenever he wanted to take some steps according to his desire.. these Generals would go on record to say there are serious terrorist threats from this region. With Generals saying these things on record no President can take a risk.. because if some terrorist act happens after the withdrawal.. you can imagine what will be the situation of the President..

Hence we are trapped in this vicious cycle.. which is easy to start.. but almost impossible to end.