Do you think it is ethical to have a War based economy?

Question

Is it ethical to produce arms for sale? World over all the low intensity wars, militancies are supplied with arms by those who have financial abilty to provide them. They do this based on political and economic speculation. The result is that wars continue....

1) To provide market for weapons that are produced.
2) Are based on calculated economic and political speculation of large corporate and national interests.

In Kashmir a decade and a half before the most commonly known small arm was a kitchen knife and violence was virtually unknown. Out of the blue, huge consignments of sophesticated arms that local people just cannot afford became easily available and fascinated the young. This resulted in large scale devastation with 80,000 dead and roughly 10,000 missing.

Why do we allow commerical arms manufacture and sale?
Is it ethical to have such an industry. If war is legitimate only on the premise that it is to bring about peace, then how ethical is all this?

What i am trying to say is that Nations produce there own weapons for self defence... why do we have to sell arms? Why is it legal? The small arms that are in circulation in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Lebanon, all the starving African nations are manufactured in the so called civilized western world. Civilized nations can decide among themselves not to make such arms readily available.

Why is there a market for arms? Who sold WMDs and other War technology to Saddam and know the various oil rich Arab countries? Who armed Afghans? They can't even afford their shirts!

WAR WILL NEVER END UNLESS WE DESTROY THE WAR ECONOMY AND MAKE IT ILLEGAL. OTHERWISE THEY WILL KEEP INVENTING WARS TO FLOURISH!

Answer 1

Of course it isn't. However the "Plan for the new american century" that neo-cons support just about demand it. It makes other countries rely on the US for our weapons.

The US is the world leader in the sale of weapons and torture equipment after all.

Answer 2

It is an interesting question. How many regions economies depend on arms production? The richer/industrialized nations build weapons and sell them to countries to protect their economic interests. Where inevitably people shoot each other and die. But if these assets were not protected in this manner the worldwide economy would grind to a screeching halt, possibly leading to wider resource conflicts. Its been the same thing ever since the very first colonies were set up by Europeans. But at this point so many peoples well beings hinge in it that it cannot be changed. Ethical? No, but I think it is a nessesary evil.

Answer 3

Absolutely not ethical.

To have a war based economy means the economy will only thrive off of wars. Lets take the US Government for example, it's been at war for the whole time the Bush Administration has been in power, Bush family is a well known war family which has many interests just deepening there pockets.

A war based economy is only good for the people selling the weapons and the government, it hurts everyone else. We will always be at war if our economies are based on war.

I liked the cold war better, everyone had weapons but no one used them for fear and, was actual peaceful with no major major wars.

We need peace and understanding, war cannot be a solution.

Answer 4

First, there is no such thing as a war-based economy which would be defined as an economy that is primarily driven by the business of supporting the war, at least not in a developed country. FOr example, the US clearly is not a war based economy, as roughly 67% of the gross deomestic product (GDP) is consumer spending. I suppose it's possible for small, third-world countries with long-standing political strife under dictators to have their economy driven primarily by manufacture or trade of military weapons, but I don't know for sure. Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Haiti come to mind, but I don't know their economies so I can't say for sure.

That said, it is entirely ethical to be in the business of producing equipment to protect the citizens from dangerous leaders of some countries. Sadly, history has shown there will always dangerous leaders out there. Those rogue governments will always find ways to produce or buy weapons to further their sick designs.

Answer 5

it is allowed for the same reason a million other things that make no sense are allowed ...commercial arms manufacturer's are putting money into the politicians pocket! The rich keep getting richer and the poor will die!

Answer 6

So you are claiming that that it is not ethical to produce things that other people need to protect themselves?

Gee, lets do that. Lets make sure that the only nations selling weapons are the ones who do not care who they sell them to. Lets make sure that democracies and moderate governments cannot defend themselves.

Did you think at all before you posted this?

Answer 7

so it is our fault because we make weapons and other countries buy them.

1) it is capitalism supply and demand
2) wars used to be fought by hand to hand combat until this dam Chinese cam up with gun powder do we blame them for technology?
3) people have always wanted to kill each other over land, power, religion, and other reasons. the method of how they do it changes because of technology. better technology means more casualties.

i believe your train of thought is what the issue is. war is between the aggressor and the defender and has nothing to do with the supplier.

Answer 8

I don't think any of it is ethical.

I'm not proud of my home country at the moment. They think war is legitimate only on the premise that it is to bring about MONEY.

Answer 9

Sounds like Kashmir has a problem with illegal gun dealers to me.

Answer 10

To the rich, it's all about the dough and how they can get more of it..........What they fail (or refuse) to realize is that they can't take it with them when they go elsewhere............Take care!!!!!!!!