--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Together, Mertins and Cummings were a…" description: "\"“Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable arms-dealing force. In 1965 they worked together to sell seventy-four US-made F-86 fighter planes to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg" --- # Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable… ![“Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable arms-dealing force. In 1965 they worked together to sell seventy-four US-made F-86 fighter planes to Venezuela, fifty-four of which were surplus German stock and a further twenty procured from active Luftwaffe service.24 It was a hugely profitable…” quote by Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg) > ““Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable arms-dealing force. In 1965 they worked together to sell seventy-four US-made F-86 fighter planes to Venezuela, fifty-four of which were surplus German stock and a further twenty procured from active Luftwaffe service.24 It was a hugely profitable deal.”” [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Arms dealers Mertins and Cummings orchestrated a massive, lucrative sale of US fighter jets to Venezuela, mixing surplus and active aircraft. **In simple terms:** They made a huge profit selling many fighter planes to Venezuela. Key Takeaway Recognize how profit motives can drive complex, opaque deals. Themes arms trade profit politics corruption Mood cautious critical inquisitive Type historical political When to use this quote - government procurement - defense contracting - international negotiations Key Concepts geopolitics military economics networking Questions to Reflect On - What are the hidden costs of profit‑driven arms sales? - How can transparency be increased in defense contracts? A Different Perspective Such deals often obscure ethical concerns and long‑term consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [86 Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/86-fighter-3240609/) [Arms Dealing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms-dealing-3240607/) [Dealing Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dealing-force-3240610/) [Fighter Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter-planes-1023723/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Mertins Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mertins-cummings-3240608/) ## Related quotes > [“The only thing that disturbed our equanimity during the wonderful days of rest and peace were American and Russian fighter-planes that sometimes came diving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillblad-ed-thorolf/the-only-thing-that-disturbed-our-equanimity-during-the-wonderful/) [Hillblad (ed.), Thorolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillblad-ed-thorolf/) > [“She raised her head and saw a squadron of fighter planes. She stretched her hand high as if she could grab hold and climb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sundin/she-raised-her-head-and-saw-a-squadron-of-fighter-planes-she/) [Sarah Sundin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sundin/) > [“American fighter planes came in under the smoke to see if anything was moving. They saw Billy and the rest moving down there. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/american-fighter-planes-came-in-under-the-smoke-to-see-if-anything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [That's one of the things about the NFL is that you have small-market teams, big-market teams. I feel like the bigger market teams do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/that-s-one-of-the-things-about-the-nfl-is-that-you-have-small-market/) [Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/) > [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [“Wed don't need to live like the elites of California, New York, or Washington, D.C. We don't need to work a hundred hours a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/wed-don-t-need-to-live-like-the-elites-of-california-new-york-or/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [“The market was king, that much was clear. Share worth had replaced human worth. And it wasn’t so much a question of what that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-dahl/the-market-was-king-that-much-was-clear-share-worth-had-replaced/) [Arne Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-dahl/) > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) ## More by Andrew Feinstein > [“Britain’s industry was kept buoyant by the decline of Empire, for as countries gained their independence they sought arms to enhance their status and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/britain-s-industry-was-kept-buoyant-by-the-decline-of-empire-for-as/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“vividly revealed the arms industry’s ‘constant tendency towards bribery, and the playing off of one country against another to sell arms’. It also exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/vividly-revealed-the-arms-industry-s-constant-tendency-towards/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Mertins frequently upset his handlers, often selling to countries that were considered, at the very least, anti-American. His relationship with US Intelligence ended in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/mertins-frequently-upset-his-handlers-often-selling-to-countries-that/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“In August, Gehlen and a number of high-ranking colleagues were transported under Boker’s watch to Washington in the private plane of a US General…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/in-august-gehlen-and-a-number-of-high-ranking-colleagues-were/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“To secure a contract, a company must secure the support not merely of a senior prince, often through an established agent through whom very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/to-secure-a-contract-a-company-must-secure-the-support-not-merely-of/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Unwilling to borrow substantially from abroad, the Saudis’ profligate arms spending was under threat. Some of the equipment bought under the first phase of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/unwilling-to-borrow-substantially-from-abroad-the-saudis-profligate/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“the biggest problem the Saudis had to contend with was the inadequacies of Airwork, the providers of the training and maintenance contracts. The company’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/the-biggest-problem-the-saudis-had-to-contend-with-was-the/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Merex produced police equipment – binoculars, bullet-proof jackets, radios and so on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/merex-produced-police-equipment-binoculars-bullet-proof-jackets/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Caught between two global forces, Gehlen and Wessel chose the West. Coming to this realization, Gehlen and his organization made plans. Large dossiers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/caught-between-two-global-forces-gehlen-and-wessel-chose-the-west/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“general amorality of the weapons business in their disdain for any kind of control over the arms trade, their dislike of attempts to promote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/general-amorality-of-the-weapons-business-in-their-disdain-for-any/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Over time, the Saudis gave $32m to the Contras.86 The routing of this money was linked to the AWACS sale in that a fund…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/over-time-the-saudis-gave-32m-to-the-contras-86-the-routing-of-this/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“The arms trade – an intricate web of networks between the formal and shadow worlds, between government, commerce and criminality – often makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/the-arms-trade-an-intricate-web-of-networks-between-the-formal-and/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Although the FBI and later the 9/11 Commission ultimately stated that the money was not intentionally being diverted to fund terrorists,9 investigators were surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/although-the-fbi-and-later-the-9-11-commission-ultimately-stated-that/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“Chinese authorities coveted a powerful and accurate 120mm cannon produced by the huge German conglomerate Rheinmetall. Mertins acquired the plans of the cannon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/chinese-authorities-coveted-a-powerful-and-accurate-120mm-cannon/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) > [“The deal, together with other initiatives to extend its military influence in the region, would culminate in the US using the kingdom as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/the-deal-together-with-other-initiatives-to-extend-its-military/) [Andrew Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) [Explore all 53 Andrew Feinstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/) ## More Investing quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“The market was king, that much was clear. Share worth had replaced human worth. And it wasn’t so much a question of what that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-dahl/the-market-was-king-that-much-was-clear-share-worth-had-replaced/) [Arne Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-dahl/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [“Wed don't need to live like the elites of California, New York, or Washington, D.C. We don't need to work a hundred hours a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/wed-don-t-need-to-live-like-the-elites-of-california-new-york-or/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [Television series are like the stock market. There's room for bears and bulls but no room for pigs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/television-series-are-like-the-stock-market-there-s-room-for-bears/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [That's one of the things about the NFL is that you have small-market teams, big-market teams. I feel like the bigger market teams do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kelce/that-s-one-of-the-things-about-the-nfl-is-that-you-have-small-market/) [Travis Kelce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kelce/) > [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [“a select group of high-performing companies have managed to close the strategy-to-performance gap through better planning and execution. These companies—Barclays, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-mankins/a-select-group-of-high-performing-companies-have-managed-to-close-the/) [Michael C. Mankins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-mankins/) > [I'll invest my money in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-keith-kellogg/i-ll-invest-my-money-in-people/) [Will Keith Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-keith-kellogg/) [Browse all 13,164 Investing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable arms-dealing force. In 1965 they worked together to sell seventy-four US-made F-86 fighter planes to Venezuela, fifty-four of which were surplus German stock and a further twenty procured from active Luftwaffe service.24 It was a hugely profitable deal.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Feinstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-formidable-arms-dealing-force-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Investing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-formidable-arms-dealing-force-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/andrew-feinstein-12836_investing_together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-for_1149225.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Together, Mertins and Cummings were a formidable arms-dealing force. In 1965 they worked together to sell…” — Andrew Feinstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Andrew Feinstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-feinstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Together, Mertins and Cummings were a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-formidable-arms-dealing-force-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-feinstein/together-mertins-and-cummings-were-a-formidable-arms-dealing-force-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```