Contractor Quote by Joseph Stiglitz
“The attempt to minimize cost and maximize profits often interfered with our true mission in Iraq. We should have been working to get jobs for Iraqis, but the contractors found it cheaper to import Nepalese and others. This increased resentment, contributed to unemployment, and to our losing the hearts and minds of the Iraqis.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Iraq Reconstruction, 2005
Prioritizing profit over local employment undermines mission goals and fuels resentment.
In simple terms: Focusing on profit hurt local jobs and trust.
Key Takeaway
Balance profit with local hiring.
Themes
economics
development
politics
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
policy
analytical
When to use this quote
- government contracts
- NGO projects
- reconstruction efforts
Key Concepts
foreign aid
labor markets
corruption
Questions to Reflect On
- How can contracts align profit with local benefit?
- What safeguards prevent exploitation?
A Different Perspective
Profit motives can conflict with humanitarian aims.
![“World War II was really unusual, because America was in the Great Depression before. So the war did help the US economy to get securely out of this decline. This time, the war [in Iraq] is bad for the economy in both the short and long run. We could have spent trillions in research or education…” quote by Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/860/joseph-stiglitz-1351_america_world-war-ii-was-really-unusual-because_156000.jpg)
