> maybe the machines of war are a hedge that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't This is very likely. An example of a war investment that panned out over tim

> maybe the machines of war are a hedge that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't This is very likely. An example of a war investment that panned out over time was the Manhattan project. One that did not would be something like the Maginot line. At some point, it's just an investment with no guarantee on return.