War_Keeps_the_Economy_of_the_World_Alive

Nicholas Gordon Discursive Essay War keeps the economy of the world alive Eve Merriam once said: “I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war'" Unfortunately I believe that this hope will never become a reality but rather remain elusive. The truth is that war has ravaged our past and will inevitably play its role in times to come. For as long as man has walked our planet, there has been fighting and war. When someone merely utters the word war, the idea of countless, innocent deaths comes immediately to mind. The clear devastation which war leaves in its wake are blaringly obvious, and the necessity of war is constantly questioned. War does not only effect the present but also the near future as most soldiers involved in war are psychologically effected as a result. An example of this is when a US Lieutenant said: “In war there are no unwounded soldiers”, referring not only to the physical damage but mental damage too. Research has shown that about 40% of American soldiers suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after combat in Vietnam. The symptoms include; difficulty falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating and exaggerated startle response. These symptoms can last anything from a few days to a few years. With the obvious mental affect which war has on innocent people, one has to question its existence. Another negative aspect of war is the financial burden which it places on a country. This burden is huge and thus it appears crazy to think that war could be responsible for sustaining the world economy. A recent report shows that if only 10% of the money spent on the production of weapons in the USA was spent elsewhere, world hunger could be a problem long forgotten. In 2003 alone America spent 296 billion dollars on their military budget, more than eight times what they spent on education. Is the evidence of a power hungry superpower reigning supreme with sophisticated weaponry, or is it money well spent in strengthening their economy' Although it is difficult to think that there could possibly be any positives of war, war is an important aspect of the world economy and surprisingly peace on earth may lead to an economic collapse. The production of weapons is a multibillion dollar industry which is of course dependant on war. This leads to the idea that if there was no war, what would happen to this prominent industry. It is easy to argue that the money could be put to better use elsewhere, but how would the collapse of the industry affect the world' For example Russia’s arms and defence industry employs 2.5 – 3 million people and accounts for over 20% of manufacturing jobs. If there was no need for the protection of the country or the production of arms, what would these 3 million people, now equipped with unnecessary skills, turn towards in search of income in a country already suffering with a rapidly growing unemployment level of 9.2%. The ugly truth of the matter is that if there is no conflict, the arms industry collapses and millions of jobs are lost worldwide, adding to the amount of people living in desperate poverty. When considering this rather unethical concept it is important to think broader than even the arms industry. War and the production of arms requires minerals and resources such as steel, rubber, glass and electronics. With no need for armaments the demand for such resources will dramatically decrease, leading to the collapse of further industries and the inevitable job loss. As one domino causes the next to collapse it is very difficult to calculate the effect this may have on the economy’s of the world. Many men also turn towards joining the army or the protection force of their country for income. If there was no war there would be little need for an army and thus further jobs would be lost. If one has a macabre view on the issue there is another positive associated with war. With the population of the world arguably nearing capacity, the many deaths caused by war help to lower the population, and inadvertently helps the economy as the deaths will result in job opportunities for the unemployed. War is tragic, devastating and destructive but unfortunately necessary. It is a shame that so many innocent lives are lost to the cause of war but conflict is unavoidable and war will never completely be laid to rest. As unbelievable as it may seem, war directly or indirectly provides jobs to millions of people and therefore, war keeps the economy of the world alive.