ECON: War (was: Why Microsoft is a Threat to Freedom)

Geoff Smith (geoffs@unixg.ubc.ca)
Thu, 6 Nov 1997 11:25:40 -0800 (PST)


On Wed, 5 Nov 1997, Anton Sherwood wrote:

> How many war-dead is a spinoff worth?
>
> What research never happened, because the money to do it
> was taxed away to spend on war?
>
> How the Cold War is relevant to Microsoft, I'm sure I don't know.

In reading this, a old question of mine pops up: Is a war really a good
thing for an economy? I any history class, you'll hear over and over that
a good war will pick up a sluggish economy. Is this true? Has anyone
analyzed this phenomenon? I think it would be useful to debunk this (if
it's a myth) since it can be packaged in a very pro-conscription meme.
(ie. we *need* conscription to boost our economy!)

Thanx,

Geoff.