[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Rare is not never.

Please name some soldiers who, returning from combat, are richer, happier, healthier, more sane, or less dead, than they would have been without going to war. Then subtract those who did not profit from the experience, and tell me whether war profits the combatants rather than the politicians who start it.

You are falling into no true scotman fallacy.

[alancalverd]

No. I'm summarising history. Soldiers don't start wars, and a good deal of military training is in the avoidance of contact. Politicians declare war in the pursuit of their own advancement. 

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

The science of greed | Paul K. Piff | TEDxMarin

The Science of Greed : Why the Ideology of self interest could be the downfall of the American Dream. Wealth may seem like mostly an unmitigated good, yet it also has significant costs. My research reveals the pernicious effects of inequality and why something must be done about them...before it's too late.
Paul K. Piff is a social psychologist and research scientist in the Psychology Department at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Psychology from UC Berkeley.

Greed seems to be instinctive behavior. People don't need to be taught to be greedy.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

How Capitalism Changed the Face of War

These are the men that turned war into a business.
With every advance in technology, our weapons get better while weapon makers get richer and deadly wars continue. That?s the future laid out in a book about the arms trade from 100 years ago. And it still rings true today.
-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
0:00 Intro
5:05 The Industrial Revolution
6:35 The Merchants of Death
16:40 The Arms Trade Mapped

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Soldiers don't start wars

They start fights. Their leaders start wars.
But it doesn't mean that they never make profit from wars.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Greed seems to be instinctive behavior. People don't need to be taught to be greedy.

Greed can be encouraged by fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the future. We've learned that sometimes we need more than what we usually need. Anticipating for such a case, we can save some excess resources now for later use.

[alancalverd]

They start fights. Their leaders start wars.
But it doesn't mean that they never make profit from wars.

Soldiers sometimes fight in bars, but usually with rival regiments from their own side, and usually end up in prison or military detention for doing so. Fighting is never the primary objective in battle: it's always preferable to take ground or persuade your enemy to surrender without firing a shot.   

Please name a regular or conscripted private soldier (not a mercenary) who profited from going to war.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Please name a regular or conscripted private soldier (not a mercenary) who profited from going to war.

When they do profit from war, they won't announce it publicly, understandably to protect their own best interest. Gemini didn't give an answer for such a case, although it suggested to look into Military history forums which often discuss soldier experiences, and you might find anecdotal accounts (though verification can be difficult). They typically use nicknames.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Greed seems to be instinctive behavior. People don't need to be taught to be greedy.

Greed can be encouraged by fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the future. We've learned that sometimes we need more than what we usually need. Anticipating for such a case, we can save some excess resources now for later use.

Such behavior can be found in the wilderness. Animals eat excessively to accumulate nutrients to prepare for the winter. Some of them stock up on food and hide their treasures in tunnels, burrows, and other secret spots throughout their territory.
Modern humans have similar behaviors, but with more sophisticated methods.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Especially in the rising of AGI, we need to adapt with the environment by adopting abundance mentality. Gemini describes it as

Abundance mentality is a way of thinking that there are enough resources and opportunities for everyone to succeed. People with this mindset believe they are not limited by lack, and instead focus on gratitude and the potential for growth. Here are some key aspects of abundance mentality:

Belief in enough for everyone: Abundance mentality contrasts with scarcity mentality, which fears there aren't enough resources to go around.
Celebrating others' success: People with an abundance mindset see others' achievements as inspiring, rather than threatening.
Focus on gratitude: They appreciate what they already have, fostering a positive outlook.
Sharing and giving back: They believe there's plenty to share, and are generous with their time, resources, and support.
Abundance mentality can be beneficial in many areas of life, from personal fulfillment to career success.

[alancalverd]

Gemini didn't give an answer for such a case, although it suggested to look into Military history forums which often discuss soldier experiences, and you might find anecdotal accounts (though verification can be difficult). They typically use nicknames.

Fairly typical of a chatbot.
I asked you to give an example of your assertion - a reasonable request.
You pretended that examples were not publicly available, which makes me wonder how you reached your assertion in the first place. If you are in possession of a state secret, it is an offence event to admit to having it.
You then attempted to answer from authority, but your supposed authority merely told you to do your own research.
So until further notice we must assume that private soldiers do not profit from conflict as you have produced no evidence to the contrary, you claim that none is available, and your expert declines to offer any despite having access to every possible source.
Extraordinary claims demand not merely extraordinary evidence, but any evidence at all.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Sometimes there's only thin difference between stupidity and immorality.

It rings true here

Boeing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses how Boeing went from being a company known for quality craftsmanship to one synonymous with crashes, mishaps, and ?quality escape.? Whatever that means.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Gemini didn't give an answer for such a case, although it suggested to look into Military history forums which often discuss soldier experiences, and you might find anecdotal accounts (though verification can be difficult). They typically use nicknames.

Fairly typical of a chatbot.
I asked you to give an example of your assertion - a reasonable request.
You pretended that examples were not publicly available, which makes me wonder how you reached your assertion in the first place. If you are in possession of a state secret, it is an offence event to admit to having it.
You then attempted to answer from authority, but your supposed authority merely told you to do your own research.
So until further notice we must assume that private soldiers do not profit from conflict as you have produced no evidence to the contrary, you claim that none is available, and your expert declines to offer any despite having access to every possible source.
Extraordinary claims demand not merely extraordinary evidence, but any evidence at all.

How many evidence do you want?

Israeli soldiers have posted videos of themselves stealing from Palestinian homes in Gaza since Israel?s ground invasion began. Gaza?s media office says that at least $25 million in cash, gold and valuables was looted from Gaza in the first 3 months of the war.

In the ancient times, more cases are likely had taken place, due to lack of law enforcement.
IMO, it's a more extraordinary claim to say that soldiers never took profit from wars.

[alancalverd]

Gaza?s media office

A paragon of truth, obviously. Good to see those incorruptible accountants are still at their posts. Thank goodness the IDF hasn't disrupted the banks, insurance companies and tax offices in Gaza, or they wouldn't have access to the figures. And thanks be to some deity or other that nobody ever posts propaganda on the internet in wartime.

I knew an army surgeon who had a really nice field amputation kit taken from his Nazi counterpart who "had no further use for it" (on account of being dead) but that seems like a poor return for the investment of 5 years fighting and the loss of his brother. All my dad brought back from the Second World War was a boxing cup that he won from an English tanks versus Scottish infantry competition. And malaria, of course.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

Gaza?s media office

A paragon of truth, obviously. Good to see those incorruptible accountants are still at their posts. Thank goodness the IDF hasn't disrupted the banks, insurance companies and tax offices in Gaza, or they wouldn't have access to the figures. And thanks be to some deity or other that nobody ever posts propaganda on the internet in wartime.

I knew an army surgeon who had a really nice field amputation kit taken from his Nazi counterpart who "had no further use for it" (on account of being dead) but that seems like a poor return for the investment of 5 years fighting and the loss of his brother. All my dad brought back from the Second World War was a boxing cup that he won from an English tanks versus Scottish infantry competition. And malaria, of course.

Do you think the evidence are fake?
Is it OK now to steal from dead people?

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

How a Historian Nailed Billionaires for Their Greed at Davos | NowThis

Historian Rutger Bregman told a room full of billionaires at the Davos World Economic Forum 2019 that they need to step up and pay their fair share of taxes.

[alancalverd]

Do you think the evidence are fake?

In wartime, as with politics in general, it is important to distinguish between evidence and propaganda.

Coming from a long line of refugees, and being acquainted with quite a few current ones, I find it surprising that anyone left cash, gold, watches, etc behind when fleeing from an advancing army. Apparently times have changed in Gaza, even though the old traditions persist in Ukraine.

As for my colleague's amputation kit, it wasn't going to save many lives in the hands of a dead Nazi, but he continued to use it successfully, including dealing with road accidents in peacetime. I suppose he could have been honest and handed it over to his enemies, but he would have been executed for wearing the wrong uniform and not everyone wanted Hitler to win.

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

I find it surprising that anyone left cash, gold, watches, etc behind when fleeing from an advancing army.

Perhaps the previous owners have already been dead, from bombings and whatnot. Their heirs should inherit those things.

[alancalverd]

So now you add your own speculation to propaganda to support a hypothesis with no basis in observation.  Hardly what you expect to find in a science forum!

I heard some interesting statistics in a radio interview yesterday. The United Nations estimate that in modern wars, over 95% of deaths are of civilians. To date, the ratio of Hamas to civilian deaths in Gaza is about 13,000:15,000. So why do people call Gaza a humanitarian disaster, but not Ukraine, Syria, Sudan....?

[hamdani yusuf (OP)]

So now you add your own speculation to propaganda to support a hypothesis with no basis in observation.  Hardly what you expect to find in a science forum!

You should reflect that on yourself. Conflicting parties are not a reliable sources of contemporary information due to conflict of interest. Independent sources are more reliable in such situation.