Advantage Quote by Naomi Klein
“protected businesses never, never become competitive ... Halliburton, Bechtel, Parsons, KPMG, RTI, Blackwater and all other U.S. corporations that were in Iraq to take advantage of the reconstruction were part of a vast protectionist racket whereby the U.S. government had created their markets with war, barred their competitors from even entering the race, then paid them to do the work, while guaranteeing them a profit to boot - all at taxpayer expense.”
About This Quote
Source Book: This Changes Everything, 2015
Protectionist corporate structures thrive in war zones, where governments create markets, block competition, and guarantee profits, burdening taxpayers.
In simple terms: War creates profitable monopolies for certain firms.
Key Takeaway
Question and challenge war-driven corporate privileges.
Themes
economics
war
corporate power
public policy
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
political
economic
When to use this quote
- defense contracting
- infrastructure rebuilding
- legal frameworks
Key Concepts
monopolies
government contracts
taxpayer burden
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the long‑term impacts of war economies?
- How can transparency be increased?
A Different Perspective
Such arrangements can stifle competition and perpetuate conflict.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
