The Lack of Major Wars May Be Hurting Economic Growth

[Charlie Prime]

War leads to investment in research, development and industry. That is how it improves economic growth... On other hand also, rebuilding increase economic growth...

You neglected to read the link above:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_window_fallacy

[bryant.coleman]

Going by their argument, the Iraq war, which cost some $4-5 trillion would have propelled the economy to new heights? Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't see the US economy gaining anything from the Iraq / Afghan wars. Might have benefited the oil companies, gas pipeline construction firms, private security contractors.etc. But that is it. No one else gained from it.

[TaunSew]

Small amount.  There's $97 trillion investments.  Spending $5 trillion over a decade is nothing

A real total war would have to spend a quadrillion or more.  Half million tanks, 100K+ aircraft, aircraft carriers, think WW2 scale of production.

[deisik]

Read the article twice and the opinions above and I don't understand how they can claim that a major war will help economic growth

It helps those who don't participate in it (or don't suffer badly from it). Remember who gained most from the last two world wars?

[bryant.coleman]

Small amount.  There's $97 trillion investments.  Spending $5 trillion over a decade is nothing

Wow... then I was wrong perhaps. 

Let the war machine continue to roll. War with Iraq cost $4 trillion. The war with Iran is going to cost some $40 trillion. And Hillary's adventure with Russia is going to cost some $400 trillion.

[deisik]

Small amount.  There's $97 trillion investments.  Spending $5 trillion over a decade is nothing

Wow... then I was wrong perhaps.  

Let the war machine continue to roll. War with Iraq cost $4 trillion. The war with Iran is going to cost some $40 trillion. And Hillary's adventure with Russia is going to cost some 400 trillion roubles.

Corrected...

[acs267]

I guess. But let's be honest, most countries want wars so they can get more funding from the people. And to get more land on foreign or their own soil, to show who the true champ is.

[Ekaros]

Small amount.  There's $97 trillion investments.  Spending $5 trillion over a decade is nothing

Wow... then I was wrong perhaps. 

Let the war machine continue to roll. War with Iraq cost $4 trillion. The war with Iran is going to cost some $40 trillion. And Hillary's adventure with Russia is going to cost some $400 trillion.

Russia-USA war would probably improve economic growth... Net positivity, maybe not.

[bryant.coleman]

Russia-USA war would probably improve economic growth... Net positivity, maybe not.

a Russia-USA war would improve the economy of China. It will destroy the economies of both Russia and the United States. Remember the WW2. The US emerged as a world power after WW2, because it limited its participation in the battle for the initial 3-4 years.

Corrected...

lol... classic.

[keyscore44]

An apt movie for this thread

[deisik]

Russia-USA war would probably improve economic growth... Net positivity, maybe not.

a Russia-USA war would improve the economy of China. It will destroy the economies of both Russia and the United States. Remember the WW2. The US emerged as a world power after WW2 WW1, because it limited its participation in the battle for the initial 3-4 years.

Another correction made!

The USA had been heavily crediting its allies during WW1 and earned a heap of money and power (read John Keynes' work "The Economic Consequences of the Peace" if you are curious)...