Brush Fires of Freedom

In Columnist Charles Reese's recent article No Money in Peace, about the privatization of American war, he correctly assertated that "war, as it is being fought in Iraq, is a highly profitable operation for the war service industry." He clearly understands that war is a racket. But he continues

"Unfortunately, nobody seems to have figured out how to make a dime out of peace. I easily predict that until somebody does, there will always be more war than peace."

Reese fails to see an obvious truth. He, like almost everyone else, makes all his dimes on peace. Every industry, except the war industry, is a peace industry!

Reese's solution for stopping the profit motive from becoming a war motive is borrowing the National Socialist Party's idea of confiscating of war profits:

If we look at war in its proper perspective, as the common defense of the country, then we can plainly see that when it becomes necessary, it becomes the common duty of all citizens. Therefore, no one should profit from it. There is no reason except corporate greed and political corruption why weapons and other materials of war should not be supplied at cost. There is no sane reason why some should become millionaires while others become corpses or mutilated wrecks.

Ignoring that war bond buyers fall into this war profiteer category, the war industry is a racket because it is not based upon mutual consent. This necessitates that it have a winner and loser. War is funded, virtually exclusively, by taxes. If not for the political method of distribution there would be little war, because there is no money in it.