How Did The United States Profit From World War I?

Before the war, the United States was in a recession. A recession that was a whole lot more obvious than the one we as a nation are currently struggling through today. How can a country solve it’s economical problems without resorting to war? Well, not many had that kind of a solution on their mind when World War I broke out in 1914, economic strategists where looking at it as a beautiful thing. Like a golden life saver amidst the debris of a sunken English ship, The Lusitania. The exact device that through the United States into the war. But what preceded that? It was written by one of the presidents of the United States that we, the people actually needed a war! Who needs a war? In 1897 Theodore Roosevelt wrote to a friend: “In strict confidence… I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs one.” (Zinn 93).

The United States began to boost it’s economy by increasing it’s overseas relationships, as well as increasing production. They produced weapons that would be sold to the Allies during the beginning of the war. Of course the action didn’t place the United States in the good graces of the Central Powers, either. But that didn’t stop the United States from selling weapons to the countries that best served it’s interests. That’s what profiteering is all about.

Profiteer: Make excessive profits: to make excessive profits by charging high prices for scarce, necessary, or rationed goods. n (plural prof·it·eers) somebody making excessive profits: somebody who makes excessive profits by charging high prices for scarce, necessary, or rationed goods. -prof·it·eer·ing, n (Encarta ® World English Dictionary).

The idea was that keeping the Allies around was better than supporting the Central powers because of the accessibility. England could be reached easier than Germany or Bulgaria, and it had far greater ports, which would increase the trade power, making England a better ally to the United States than any of the Central powers. As well as the fact that the French had helped out the United States during the Revolution, so, in a way, the United States owed France one. Although they had backed out of their agreement to assist them during the hundred years’ war due to their isolationist ideology, the United States went ahead and used it as reasoning for their assistance in the beginning of the war. However the idea of profiteering has always been there, and here is an example.

War Profiteers in WWI

Company Name Profits BEFORE the War Profits by The End Of The War

DuPont (Gunpowder) $ 6,000,000 $ 58.000,000 Bethlehem Steel $ 6,000,000 $ 49,000,000 United States Steel $ 105,000,000 $ 240,000,000 Anaconda $ 10,000,000 $ 34,000,000 Utah Copper $ 5,000,000 $ 21,000,000 Central Leather Company $ 3,500,000 $ 15,000,000 International Nickel Company $ 4,000,000 $ 73,000,000 American Sugar Refining Company $ 2,000,000 $ 6,000,000 According to General Butler – 21,000 Millionaires were made in the USA during WWI.
$ 16, 000,000,000 (Yep, BILLIONS) of Profits were made off of WWI in America – off of the BLOOD of it’s Citizens . . .

And It seems to have ALWAYS been this way :

“There is such a thirst for gain [among military suppliers]…that it is enough to make one curse their own Species, for possessing so little virtue and patriotism.” – President George Washington, 1778

“War Profiteering is TREASON.” – Senator Harry S. Truman – (the EXACT Quote is in doubt – but, there is little doubt that Truman BELIEVED this)
(http://www.resistanceisnotfutile.us/WarProfiteeringInWWI.aspx).

War profiteering should be considered a crime, but it can’t be enforced if the very country trying to enforce it, continually uses it to keep from sinking economically. As it did during every war all the way up to the one it is currently in, the United States continues to keep itself afloat by profiteering on the war on terrorism. As it has been seen with Haliburton. In fact, here is a quote from Haliburton’s CEO, David Lesar:

“Will things go wrong? Sure they willl, it’s a war zone. But when they do, we’ll fix it, we always have — for 60 years, for both political parties.” (http://iraqforsale.org/halliburton.php).

Enough said, so long as there is a profit to gain, the United States will be there to gain it.