An inventor was told he would never make any money inventing something to save life. So he invented the machine gun instead and made a fortune
2006-11-17 01:57:18 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Economics
The proportion of the world's economy devoted to saving life, mis very neglieable compare with the proportion devoated to the destruction of life and properties.
2006-11-17 05:42:55 · answer #1 · answered by Andrew O 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The real story concerns Hiram Maxim (not one of the inventors of earlier machine guns). He was told at a Paris Exhibition that "If you wanted to make a lot of money, invent something that will enable these Europeans to cut each other's throats with greater facility." He never said that he would not invent something to save lives.
2006-11-17 02:12:52 · answer #2 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Arms, munitions and armed forces (armed personnel + support + logistics + personnel + accountants + consulatnts, etc.) is approx. 2.15% ... add the few wackoes who buy guns and knives in civilan society, makes it maybe 2.28% . Add on abortion clinics (0.01%), makes total A.
Contrast that with money the police spends on body armour (approx 0.02%) + donations to third world and war zone-engaged charities plus amnesty international & those (0.7%) + ambulance and hospital-related spending (approx 3.9%) + exceptional & idealistic political initiatives including the removal of landmines (0.03%) and all state prosecution of murderers so they cannot reoffend so soon (0.4%).
What about military operations related health stations (0.01%)? These count toward both, well, certainly toward the latter.
For me, the total is 5.3% for saving lives and 2.29% of the economy spent on taking lives, so the savers have it.
2006-11-17 04:42:14 · answer #3 · answered by profound insight 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
14% of the GDP in the USA is the health care system, in the UK its 8%, Germnay its 10%, I don't think these countries spend anywhere near as much in killing people.
of course it is debatable whether those percentages are genuinelly used to save people. Some of the healthcare spending are for advertising, accountings, acturies, other admin. etc. particularly in the USA. and I think consuming the product 'accounting' is more like to harm you than to save you.
2006-11-17 17:45:33 · answer #4 · answered by demographer_uk 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To much pressure for YA EH?
Will get drunk get laid!
HAve fun b4 you die!
2006-11-17 02:06:07 · answer #5 · answered by ~Peace~N~Love~ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋