Privatizing Profits and Socializing CostsBy Edward Barlow, Section War and Peace
If there were no private profits in "war", would there be less wars?
12 July 1917. Bisbee, Arizona. In the intense heat of summer, Owners and Investors of the Copper Queen Mines, losing enormous World War I profits, forcibly loaded 1,185 striking copper miners into railroad boxcars laden with 6 inches of manure. They were then shipped to the middle of a New Mexican desert, and dropped off. The striking miners were called selfish, unpatriotic, and un-America. Owners and Investors then hired patriotic Americans at lower wages and praised their selfless contribution and sacrifices to America's war effort. This is one of many historical examples of investor class greed for war profits masked by Patriotism and Americanism.
Further, during this war most Working Class wages were frozen, but not the profits for war investors. According to IRS data, over 21,000 investors became millionaires because of World War I. Many others made smaller fortunes. The World Almanac states that over 115,000 of America's sons and daughters, mainly from the working class and poor, made the "ultimate sacrifice" and died in this war to make the world safe for Democracy and Capitalists. Hundreds of thousands more were physically, emotionally, and mentally maimed forever. Obviously, war is very profitable and desirable for the investor class and very costly for the working class and poor. So is it patriotic for investors of capital to "earn" enormous profits from war while countless others are being killed, maimed, and living wretched lives afterwards? Not according to legendary Marine Corps Brigadier General Smedley Butler, recipient of two Congressional Medal of Honors and more combat medals than any other serviceman in U.S. history. After thirty-three years of military service, he spoke out and made the point that: "War is a racket for the investors of capital. War is an example of privatizing profits and socializing the costs. If profits were taken out of war, there would be no wars." [War is a Racket, Smedley Butler, Feral press]. So far, the war to rid the Iraqi people of their fictitious Weapons of Mass Destruction has cost the US taxpayer billions of dollars. There have been countless deaths, injuries, shattered lives, and massive destruction of property. Investors, as always, are making huge war profits, waving the American flag, and laughing all the way to the bank. Obviously, if the invasion, occupation, destruction, and rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan cost 100s of billions of dollars, then "someone" has made 100s of billions of dollars. Investors now have their eyes on the fortunes that can be made when Iran, Syria, Cuba, or Venezuela are invaded, occupied, destroyed, and "rebuilt" for further investment and plunder. If owners and investors of capital want to be "patriotic", make "selfless contributions and sacrifices" for their country, then ALL the profits, dividends, and interest they "earn" from the invasion, occupation, and "rebuilding" of Iraq (and all other of America's many wars) should be used to pay reparations to the countless "victims" of war. Also any private profits "earned" from war and war related investments should be "socialized" and be used to find saner and more peaceful solution to the world's problems. Finally, I wish to clarify that we will always need a strong military for defense. Military recruiters should be allowed (and not hassled when they go to high schools or colleges to recruit people for the military. There is nothing wrong with serving one's country. Our veterans are America's treasure. But no one should financially profit from sending others to war. If there were no profits, then there would be much less war. |
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