Global Trading is not the Solution to War

Domenick J. Maglio, Ph.D. Neo-Traditionalist

As a naive twenty-year-old college student I wrote an economics paper with the thesis that all war would be ended if we took the entire military budget and converted it to foreign aid with no strings attached. My professor’s comment at the end of my thirty-page manifesto was ” Are you kidding?” My response today to his harsh assessment would be “I was just ahead of my time.”

Now, the business and political elite are saying they would end all wars through global trading. Any nation involved with international trade would cease to have any motivation to go to war. The rationale is: when you trade with another country you develop financial stakes and interest in the other nation.

This mutual involvement prevents one country from wanting to destroy their own assets in the conquest of the other. This belief has resonated in the USA to such an extent that many leaders have adopted it as the bedrock of our national defense policy.

It has not worked. It will not work because it disregards human nature. America was Japan’s largest trading partner before World War II. It did not stop their attack on Pearl Harbor. It was our ability to fight the war, not our commerce that allows us to speak English instead of Japanese today.

National defense based on military strength has been replaced by the policy of making friendships through sharing wealth and expertise with underdeveloped countries. America has invested in China, Venezuela, Russia and many middle eastern counties’ economies. Has envy and hostility towards the powerful and affluent nation been transformed into grateful admiration?

Many advocates of the global economy have their own agenda with little concern for American interests. International corporations have a vested interest in promoting trade between nations even those who would like to destroy their originating country. These companies have allegiance to no one nation since they are involved with many. They are not confined or defined by the laws of a single country. They arrogantly attempt to convince us that global trading will inoculate all nations against war in order to maximize their business.

Their existence is amoral and at times immoral. It is solely based on the bottom line of corporate profit.

Their self-serving thinking is similar to the myth of our permissive materialistic approach to raising children by modern parents. The belief is that as long as parents provide their children with few restrictions and shower them with gifts the children will be seduced into being good. The children will act appropriately so as not to jeopardize their privileged lives.

It is less work for the parent but the result is not a peaceful child. The more the children receive, the less they appreciate what they have and the more despondent they become. They often are belligerent or even abusive to their overly generous parents when they are not instantaneously gratified. They are not satisfied with “half a loaf”, they want it all. This entitlement mentality feeds their anger instead of soothing it.

Bribery and appeasement do not work with children nor do they work with nations. When a child is told to hand over his money to a more aggressive child there is no room for negotiation. Eventually the punk is not going to be satisfied with partial payment if he can get it all. The same is true of nations.

The premise that global trading prevents war puts our nation in peril. The solution to war is found in history. From the Romans to George Washington to Ronald Reagan the motto has been “ peace through strength.”

In order to thwart potential enemies from even thinking about war, we must do the following:

• Maintain unity in the values and beliefs of our culture.
• Punish any corporation or person who treasonously trades away our computer or military technology for business advantage or political contribution.
• Optimize our fighting force and intelligence community.
• Reject international corporate elites and politicians who attempt to propagandize us for their economic advantage

America can remain free only if we are willing to sacrifice. The global economy does not guarantee peace and prosperity. It is not the solution to end all wars that elites are pushing for their own selfish reasons.

No matter how many trading concessions you make with an enemy that has sworn to annihilate you, you are not going to attain peace. Peace and prosperity come from strong national morals and a citizenship willing to stand up to less than honorable nations.