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"Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria are failed states with terminal corruption, which inevitably leads to war." I think you might have the cause/effect backwards. War is
by zdean 11y ago
"Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria are failed states with terminal corruption, which inevitably leads to war."
I think you might have the cause/effect backwards. War is by far the mightiest and most profitable expression of corruption (My experience/knowledge is mostly limited to Afghanistan, but I have a feeling it applies equally to the other states as well).
- akiselev 11y agoIt works both ways. The US has long officially recognized the geopolitical risks posed by corrupt governments because they tend to destabilize over the long term. The Arab Spring was sparked in Tunisia by a small business owner who lit himself on fire after corrupt officials harassed him and confiscated his wares. The chaos caused by war also breeds corruption because when you're at war, acquisition, infrastructure, and other support are literally life and death. Since there's very little price elasticity and competition (you're at war so you usually try to buy from the most trusted sources which a huge barrier to entry), suppliers can jack up all the prices and not do the work since oversight in a warzone is much harder.