--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The 'defense' budget is three quarters of…" description: "\"The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes that profitabl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/chalmers-johnson-35363_budgets_the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of_2738295.png" --- # The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion… ![“The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes that profitable, we're going to see more of it.” quote by Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/chalmers-johnson-35363_budgets_the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of_2738295.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/chalmers-johnson-35363_budgets_the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of_2738295.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/chalmers-johnson-35363_budgets_the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of_2738295.png) > “The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes that profitable, we're going to see more of it.” [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War becomes profitable when defense budgets dominate economies, leading to more conflict. **In simple terms:** Profit fuels war; big defense budgets encourage more wars. Key Takeaway Watch defense spending and question motives. Themes politics economics war ethics Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - activism - journalism - public debate Key Concepts military-industrial complex profit motive geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - How does profit influence foreign policy? - What checks can limit war for profit? A Different Perspective Profit motives can be obscured by national security rhetoric. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Budgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgets/) [Defense budget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-budget/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Profits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profits/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [When war becomes the most profitable course of action, we can certainly expect more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/when-war-becomes-the-most-profitable-course-of-action-we-can/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [When you cut a half-a-trillion dollars from the defense budget, it affects almost every area in the defense budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/when-you-cut-a-half-a-trillion-dollars-from-the-defense-budget-it/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [At Concerned Veterans for America, we've made the case that the defense budget could be targeted for spending reform, but in a targeted fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hegseth/at-concerned-veterans-for-america-we-ve-made-the-case-that-the/) [Pete Hegseth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hegseth/) > [I have long believed there is a lot of waste in the defense budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-beckel/i-have-long-believed-there-is-a-lot-of-waste-in-the-defense-budget/) [Bob Beckel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-beckel/) > [We need a defense budget that's big enough to sustain an increase in the size of the Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-talent/we-need-a-defense-budget-that-s-big-enough-to-sustain-an-increase-in/) [Jim Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-talent/) > [If we can't find cuts in the defense budget, we're not looking carefully enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/if-we-can-t-find-cuts-in-the-defense-budget-we-re-not-looking/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [But if our nation goes over a financial Niagara, we won't have much strength and, eventually, we won't have peace. We are currently borrowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/but-if-our-nation-goes-over-a-financial-niagara-we-won-t-have-much/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [I ask the American people to consider the legacy this administration has handed us in the defense budget as we spend billions of U.S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-larsen/i-ask-the-american-people-to-consider-the-legacy-this-administration/) [Rick Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-larsen/) > [The defense budget is more than a piggy bank for people who want to get busy beating swords into pork barrels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-defense-budget-is-more-than-a-piggy-bank-for-people-who-want-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The reality is, the United States has global interests. Our defense budget is about the same as the defense budgets or military budgets of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/the-reality-is-the-united-states-has-global-interests-our-defense/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [We can no longer afford the war in Iraq. Our financial costs have already passed a third of a trillion dollars; the lifetime costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-blumenauer/we-can-no-longer-afford-the-war-in-iraq-our-financial-costs-have/) [Earl Blumenauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-blumenauer/) > [The world spends two trillion dollars a year on military, and of that two trillion the United States spends one trillion. We have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-world-spends-two-trillion-dollars-a-year-on-military-and-of-that/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [OK, so $1 trillion is what it costs to run the federal government for one year. So this money's going to run through September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-davis/ok-so-1-trillion-is-what-it-costs-to-run-the-federal-government-for/) [Susan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-davis/) > [America's military is second to none in the world. We're blessed with terrific soldiers, and extraordinary technology and intelligence. But the idea of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/america-s-military-is-second-to-none-in-the-world-we-re-blessed-with/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [ The \[liberals\] consider profits as objectionable. The very existence of profits is in their eyes a proof that wage rates could be raised without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-liberals-consider-profits-as-objectionable-the-very-existence-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) ## More by Chalmers Johnson > [A nation can be one or the other, a democracy or an imperialist, but it can't be both. If it sticks to imperialism, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/a-nation-can-be-one-or-the-other-a-democracy-or-an-imperialist-but-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [When war becomes the most profitable course of action, we can certainly expect more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/when-war-becomes-the-most-profitable-course-of-action-we-can/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The term blowback, which officials of the Central Intelligent Agency first invented for their own internal use, . . . refers to the unintended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-term-blowback-which-officials-of-the-central-intelligent-agency/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [None of the people's wars of the sixties did very well, including the one in Vietnam. Vo Nguyen Giap himself has admitted a loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/none-of-the-people-s-wars-of-the-sixties-did-very-well-including-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The demise of the American empire will be no more regretted than the demise of the Soviet empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-demise-of-the-american-empire-will-be-no-more-regretted-than-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [History teaches us that the capacity of things to get worse is limitless. Roman history suggests that the short, happy life of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-of-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [As a form of government, imperialism does not seek or require the consent of the governed. It is a pure form of tyranny. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/as-a-form-of-government-imperialism-does-not-seek-or-require-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/lastly-there-is-bankruptcy-as-the-united-states-pours-its-economic/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Blowback is simply another way of saying that a nation reaps what it sows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/blowback-is-simply-another-way-of-saying-that-a-nation-reaps-what-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Imperial politics represents the conquest of domestic politics and the latter's conversion into a crucial element of inverted totalitarianism. It makes no sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/imperial-politics-represents-the-conquest-of-domestic-politics-and/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) [Explore all 13 Chalmers Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## More Budgets quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [ The only way you can do that \[decrease taxes, balance the budget, and increase military spending\] is with mirrors… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-anderson/the-only-way-you-can-do-that-decrease-taxes-balance-the-budget-and/) John B. Anderson > [Currently, the United States provides 22 percent of the U.N. annual budgets, over $900 million in fiscal year 2007, and some of that funding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccaul/currently-the-united-states-provides-22-percent-of-the-u-n-annual/) [Michael McCaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccaul/) > [Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/sometimes-a-party-must-sail-against-the-wind-we-cannot-heed-the-call/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [America's military is second to none in the world. We're blessed with terrific soldiers, and extraordinary technology and intelligence. But the idea of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/america-s-military-is-second-to-none-in-the-world-we-re-blessed-with/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The only way to learn on a zero dollar budget is to talk to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-only-way-to-learn-on-a-zero-dollar-budget-is-to-talk-to-people/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [The only features I've done have been on the lower-budget end, for what they were. It's really all about getting the best people aboard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-garris/the-only-features-i-ve-done-have-been-on-the-lower-budget-end-for/) [Mick Garris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-garris/) > [The average family exists only on paper and its average budget is a fiction, invented by statisticians for the convenience of statisticians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-porter/the-average-family-exists-only-on-paper-and-its-average-budget-is-a/) [Sylvia Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-porter/) > [Tachyon OPC+ is a natural extension of our market-winning Tachyon platform, giving customers a clear path to minimizing the OPC error budget and producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/tachyon-opc-is-a-natural-extension-of-our-market-winning-tachyon/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. 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