Will We Ever Learn
Probably Not Until It's Too Late
Every now and then someone takes the time to post an excellent thought on LinkedIn that far too few people notice. That happened yesterday when Peter Aaron Goldman LL.D., Ph.D., from Blackfriars, England, United Kingdom set forth in the following:
“War is an extremely profitable event.
War is a complex phenomenon, at once a cause and consequence of the state. It is a means by which states can expand their influence, gain new territory, and increase their power. But war can also be a highly profitable business, with many companies making handsome profits by backing the wrong side or taking advantage of the chaos of combat.
War profiteering is an even bigger business than war itself. It is a means by which companies can make money by taking advantage of conflict and chaos. Armed conflict is a breeding ground for risk, which is why investors often flock to the industries that fuel it. It is also a market with a huge demand for a specific type of product: weapons. War profiteering is a global industry, and the same companies that profit from conflict in one part of the world will often find success in others. The global arms trade is a prime example of this phenomenon.
War profiteering has many faces, and it is often difficult to detect the hand of the profiteer when it is present. However, the global nature of the industry means that even if a war does not take place in your backyard, it is likely to have an impact on the profits of a multinational company. This is especially true of the largest and most powerful corporations.
War profiteering has a number of effects on a country. The first and most obvious is the impact on the economy: a country that is at war will often find itself struggling to provide the bare necessities for its people. In addition, a country at war will often experience an increase in the prices of goods and services, making it more difficult for civilians to afford these. The increased demand for goods and services often forces the military to cut back on its spending on non-military items, such as education.
It also has a number of impacts on the world as a whole. One of the most obvious is the creation of military-industrial complexes, which are linked to conflicts by the profits that can be made from them. This can result in the arms industry playing a significant role in the escalation of international disputes into armed conflict, as was the case with the Iraq War. It can also have a profound impact on the economy as a whole, as the spending on weapons and military hardware can have a large multiplier effect.
War is often a means of conflict that is often carried out across borders. This means that even if a company is not involved in a particular conflict, the profits that can be made from it can still have a profound impact on the company as a whole. This is particularly the case when a conflict involves two or more countries, as it creates a market for the sale of weapons as well as the production of them.”
A Few More War Quotes
“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
― George Orwell, 1984
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
― Albert Einstein
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one”
― John Lennon, Imagine
They all fit and in some way it’s my hope that you take all of the words written above to heart and think, respond and realize the world as we know it has changed while at the same time it has stayed the same. Nothing has changed today and I doubt it will regardless of the two Israeli citizens released today. The longer Israel waits the better prepared they and its allies become and the more the enemy worries.
As mentioned over the weekend, I’m going to take time to bring you words of those that inspire thought, give you better ways to interpret the world and to make better investment decisions. Me, nothing has changed so I’ll leave you to your own thoughts.
Edwin Starr said it all in “War What is it Good For”. It’s true, tried words. Hopefully that is what we’re doing around the world. Is it working? I don’t know and neither do you. How could we? It’s not like we are a fly on the wall. Face it, as Eisenhower said, the military industrial complex is real. What would the world do without making all of the equipment we need to not only protect ourselves but to destroy the enemy. All we can do is react and assess “what’s next”. There are no changes from my perspective; how about yours?