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50 Cent, the War Profiteer and the $10 million Bat Mitzvah

V

Votingisanillusion

Senior member
If you saw Fahrenheit 911, you may remember this very revealing scene: US businessmen assembled by the Pentagon to learn how to profit from this war and from the illegal privatization of Iraq. If it was a university class, it could have been named: Colonization 101.

They learned their lesson quite well: they made money, US taxpayers lost money, Iraqis and soldiers died. Now on to this example which summarizes perfectly the colonization of Iraq by Wall Street, the Pentagon, the Republicans and the Democrats:
http://www.gnn.tv/articles/1915/50_Cent...ofiteer_and_the_10_million_Bat_Mitzvah

?It?s shocking to see a guy who has no shame like this. He may be the world champion war profiteer,? said the Institute for Policy Studies? Sarah Anderson, who co-authored the report. ?The shareholders are up in arms over the defective equipment, the military is up and arms, and he?s out partying.?
 
those jews are drinking christian blood again, huh.

------ EDIT -----
Sheesh - of course it's sarcasm!

---

I hope this post is sarcasm. If so, please update it to make that clear. If not, say good bye.

AnandTech Moderator
 
Originally posted by: Votingisanillusion
Originally posted by: Meuge
those jews are drinking christian blood again, huh.
Click to expand...

"War is the biggest business in America."
Jim Garrison
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Absolutely.

War brought the US from the Great Depression towards being a superpower. Nothing else could have done that.

So just screaming because someone profitted from war is silly, at best. What we need to think about is whether we went to war for their profit. That's also different from going to war in order to gain land, or to obtain a resource for the country. I have no problem with wars of conquest.
 
Originally posted by: Meuge
Originally posted by: Votingisanillusion
Originally posted by: Meuge
those jews are drinking christian blood again, huh.
Click to expand...

"War is the biggest business in America."
Jim Garrison
Click to expand...

Absolutely.

War brought the US from the Great Depression towards being a superpower. Nothing else could have done that.

So just screaming because someone profitted from war is silly, at best. What we need to think about is whether we went to war for their profit. That's also different from going to war in order to gain land, or to obtain a resource for the country. I have no problem with wars of conquest.
Click to expand...

We were seeing very strong gdp growth before the war started and it peaked in 1942 (18.5%). Which was the first year we were involved and quickly sank to -1.1% in 1945, the last year of the war. And a recession started in 1945 till 48 where we saw negative growth, sometimes in the double digits. Korea wasnt much a boom for our economy either.

This idea that war profits a nation is kind of silly and usually not based in reality. The real situation is war is a drain on the economy both the fiscal and human markets. Everybody in uniform is one less person creating wealth for the nation.



 
"He may be the world champion war profiteer."

I think not, he is very small potatoes in DOD purchasing.
 
I don't know how people can be so greedy. It just boogles my mind how some people's greed just seems insatiable.
 
Yes, it's a drain on the markets. but as long as it's not fought on one's own soil, it provides a huge boost to infrastructure and manufacturing capacity... as well as science and engineering know-how.

It's not good for the economy in sheer monetary sense, but it has a tremendous positive effect on the industrial capacity of a nation.
 
Originally posted by: Meuge
Yes, it's a drain on the markets. but as long as it's not fought on one's own soil, it provides a huge boost to infrastructure and manufacturing capacity... as well as science and engineering know-how.

It's not good for the economy in sheer monetary sense, but it has a tremendous positive effect on the industrial capacity of a nation.
Click to expand...

Our industrial capacity was already there pre-war, we just moved it to a war economy making airplanes and tanks instead of cars and tractors.
The private investment during WWII was atrocious, seeing nearly a 50% decrease from 42-44 in each year. In fact even during the great depression we didnt see such a drop off in investment except in 32.

 
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: Meuge
Yes, it's a drain on the markets. but as long as it's not fought on one's own soil, it provides a huge boost to infrastructure and manufacturing capacity... as well as science and engineering know-how.

It's not good for the economy in sheer monetary sense, but it has a tremendous positive effect on the industrial capacity of a nation.
Click to expand...

Our industrial capacity was already there pre-war, we just moved it to a war economy making airplanes and tanks instead of cars and tractors.
The private investment during WWII was atrocious, seeing nearly a 50% decrease from 42-44 in each year. In fact even during the great depression we didnt see such a drop off in investment except in 32.
Click to expand...

It's a losing battle for you. At no other point does science and technology advance as rapidly as during wartime. There is no way you can argue against that. And while these advances are in the military realm, we've seen countless examples of how they're readily translated into the civilian sector.

P.S. You do understand that I am not arguing for this particular war, right? I just have a problem with people screaming: "oh, look, he made money... he must be bad"
 
Army combat pays an extra couple hundred a month in Iraq.
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Which is a mere pittance compared to the risk...combat pay may actually place many of our soldier's income above the poverty line.

This story wreaks of the inefficiency of the DOD procurement system...I question Brooks' ethics and sense of what is appropriate given that he payed for this party with war profits...then again, he earned this money through a legitimate military contract, and is certainly free to spend his fortune as he wishes...we can all sit here and shake our heads, but it is certainly not against the law to reap the benefits of capitalism.

The problem is more the inflated and bloated bureaucracy that is pork barrel or inefficient government defense contract spending.
 
Well, regarding soldier's salaries, I've said long ago that they need to double... with another 1.5X extra for combat pay.
 
It's sad that a man who makes body armor earns multitudes more than the men who must wear it.
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OK. Maybe no one should make it then. Without a profit incentive, there is no reason for anyone to take the risk to start a business. I am currently going through the startup process - it is a HUGE risk. I could lose everything if something goes wrong, and the odds are against me.

I am guessing that you have the balls for neither - either wearing the armor or risking everything you have to make it. Typical...
 
Originally posted by: irwincur
It's sad that a man who makes body armor earns multitudes more than the men who must wear it.
Click to expand...

OK. Maybe no one should make it then. Without a profit incentive, there is no reason for anyone to take the risk to start a business. I am currently going through the startup process - it is a HUGE risk. I could lose everything if something goes wrong, and the odds are against me.

I am guessing that you have the balls for neither - either wearing the armor or risking everything you have to make it. Typical...
Click to expand...

< --- is self-employed.

My comment could have been taken two ways, or both. You missed the second one.
 
Originally posted by: irwincur
It's sad that a man who makes body armor earns multitudes more than the men who must wear it.
Click to expand...

OK. Maybe no one should make it then. Without a profit incentive, there is no reason for anyone to take the risk to start a business. I am currently going through the startup process - it is a HUGE risk. I could lose everything if something goes wrong, and the odds are against me.

I am guessing that you have the balls for neither - either wearing the armor or risking everything you have to make it. Typical...
Click to expand...

Yes, typical...of pathological male chauvinism, at the core of capitalism, a society of perpetual economic war, macho competition instead of female cooperation.
 
Ha, I love it. Steal from the government because the sheep (aka, American people) will NOT do anything about it!

I'd steal from the American people also.


:laugh:
 
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