Does America need our enemies?

2014-12-23T15:01:53-05:00

We have a huge military complex, we need to keep them trained. We need to substantiate the budget needed for weapons, uniforms, training, and then fund research for new weapons, new uniforms, and new training.

This doesn't happen without an enemy...so I ask, do we need our enemies?

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2014 3:11 PM

2014-12-23T15:11:01-05:00

LOTS OF MONEY TO BE MADE FROM WAR!

A war profiteer is any person or organization that profits from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to parties at war. The term has strong, negative connotations. General profiteering may also occur in peace time. One example of war profiteers were the "shoddy" millionaires who allegedly sold recycled wool and cardboard shoes to soldiers during the American Civil War.

Types
International arms dealers
Others make their money by cooperating with the authorities. Basil Zaharoff's Vickers Company sold weapons to all the parties involved in the Chaco War. Companies like Opel and IBM have been labeled war profiteers for their involvement with the Third Reich.

Scientific research
War provides demand for military technology modernization. Technologies originally designed for the military frequently also have non-military use. Both the state and corporations have gains from scientific research. One famous example is SIRI, the artificial intelligent “personal assistant” that comes standard on all newer Apple iPhones. Siri was a spin off of CALO, a project funded by the government military development group, DARPA. CALO is an acronym that stands for “Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes”.[1]

Commodity dealers
War usually leads to a shortage in the supply of commodities, which results in higher prices and higher revenues. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, oil production was controlled by the Iraqi government, and was off limits to western companies. As of 2014, foreign owned private firms dominate Iraqi oil production.

Politicians
Political figures taking bribes and favors from corporations involved with war production have been called war profiteers. Abraham Lincoln's first Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, was forced to resign in early 1862 after charges of corruption relating to war contracts. In 1947, Kentucky congressman Andrew J. May, Chairman of the powerful Committee on Military Affairs, was convicted for taking bribes in exchange for war contracts.

The state
Though war initially had the objective of territorial expansion and resource gathering, the county may also profit politically and strategically, replacing governments that do not fulfill its interests by key allied governments.

Civilian contractors
More recently, companies involved with supplying the coalition forces in the Iraq War, such as Bechtel, KBR, Blackwater and Halliburton, have come under fire for allegedly overcharging for their services. The modern private military company is also offered as an example of sanctioned war profiteering. On the opposing side, companies like Huawei Technologies, which upgraded Saddam's air-defense system between the two Gulf Wars, face such accusations.

Military contractors
Groups that potentially profit from war, or the threat of war, are military contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and General Dynamics, to name a few. These companies provide goods and services such as vehicles or weapons to a government for a profit. Lockheed Martin is one of the bigger contractors, generating nearly 8 billion dollars solely from its missile department.[8] Old military material has to be discarded due to age or is lost due to fighting and new and different military material is needed by the military to maintain strategic advantages over the military technologies of foreign nations which are hostile or are potentially hostile. Equipment that is not discarded outright is sometimes given to non-military branches of government. Through a military surplus program, US law enforcement agencies have acquired 165 MRAPs, military vehicles equipped with armor and turrets.

Black marketeers
A distinction can be made between war profiteers who gain by sapping military strength and those who gain by contributing to the war. For instance, during and after World War II, enormous profits were available by selling rationed goods like cigarettes, chocolate, coffee and butter on the black market. Dishonest military personnel given oversight over valuable property sometimes diverted rationed goods to the black market. The charge could also be laid against medical and legal professionals who accept money in exchange for helping young men evade a draft.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Dec 23 at 2014 11:45 PM

2014-12-23T23:45:38-05:00

War is Peace and Peace is War. Oceania needs its enemies.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 23 at 2014 11:51 PM

2014-12-23T23:51:44-05:00

War is a complicated, tricky, and necessary thing to maintain fighting superiority. Many times the one we aid will be the next person we fight.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2014 12:47 PM

2014-12-24T12:47:38-05:00

It's not a matter of needing enemies, we have plenty of them.

There has never been a Nation or even a person in the world who does not have an enemy or someone who would harm you if they could get away with.

It can be a natural resource (nation-state) or a little red wagon if you want to get it down to the 5 year old level. As long as we are a country we will have enemies. Frankly the whole discussion sounds like something out of a facility lounge in a university.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2014 1:51 PM

2014-12-24T13:51:42-05:00

No we don't need enemies, but since we have them we should make the most of the opportunity and learn whatever lessons we can from the battlefield. Our enemies help us see our weaknesses.