Sign In

Delhi News Daily

  • Home
  • Fashion
  • Business
  • World News
  • Technology
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
Reading: Eat butter in peace, or be toast in war – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Share

Delhi News Daily

Font ResizerAa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Delhi News Daily > Blog > World News > Eat butter in peace, or be toast in war – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
World News

Eat butter in peace, or be toast in war – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

delhinewsdaily
Last updated: July 5, 2025 12:19 am
delhinewsdaily
Share
SHARE


Contents
Guns Vs ButterPeople sufferNo winners
Eat butter in peace, or be toast in war

Ukraine is not a rich country. The average Ukrainian earns the equivalent of $15,885 – PPP terms – in a year, which is 75% more than the average Indian but slightly less than the average Iranian. To catch up with neighbours like Romania ($40,304) and Poland ($43,625), Ukraine must spend more on development, but last year it spent a third of its GDP fighting Russia. Where India with a $4tn economy had a $75bn defence budget in 2024, Ukraine spent $65bn on defence from its meagre and stagnant $180bn GDP.

Guns Vs Butter

That’s the guns/butter trade-off of war. You can have more of one only at the cost of the other. As Eisenhower said: “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed…” It was 1953 and, perhaps, Eisenhower remembered how 3mn Indians had starved to death in the Bengal famine a decade earlier.Historians say the calamity wasn’t caused by drought but the misplaced priorities of Churchill’s wartime cabinet. True, there was a shortage of grain in Bengal in 1943, but London made it worse by continuing to export rice from the province for British troops. The price of grain skyrocketed, and when Indian officials sought an emergency supply of wheat, London declined. Saving Empire became more important than saving people.

People suffer

It doesn’t matter who imposes war on whom – whether Russia invades Ukraine or Afghanistan erupts in civil war – non-combatants pay a high price. A UN Women research paper shows how the Afghan govt spent 37% of its budget on defence and policing in 2019, as against 6% on health. In Mali, another war-torn country, defence expenditure in 2017 was five times higher than the outlay for social programmes.Contrast that with Kiel Institute’s data for G7 nations. Over a 90-year period, from 1872 to 1962, their military expenditure exceeded social programmes, dipping below 20% of their budget only once, immediately after WW-1. But today, these nations spend less than 10% of their budget on defence, as against more than 40% on social expenditure. Under pressure from Trump, Nato members have pledged to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, but don’t count on it.

No winners

War can spur the economy – as it’s done in Russia – by increasing demand for killing machines, but data shows a dollar spent on the military produces fewer jobs than a dollar spent on infrastructure, health, education, etc. The Vietnam war may have been good for US defence contractors, but it hurt ordinary Americans by starting an inflation spiral that lasted till the 80s. Likewise, the post-9/11 American wars diverted money away from infrastructure and the social sector, and have run up an $8tn bill.So, guns or butter? Sometimes, countries – like Ukraine – don’t have a choice, but when they do – like Russia – they should pick butter, and a loaf of Borodinsky.





Source link

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article Israeli strike kills 20 in Gaza; Trump says expects Hamas reply to truce proposal soon – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Next Article Could the electric hydrofoil ferry change the way we commute? – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Indian-origin Mathura Sridharan appointed Ohio’s 12th solicitor general; succeeds Gaiser after DOJ appointment, fills top legal post – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Indian-origin Nikhil Ravishankar becomes airline boss, New Zealand media disables comments on social media for massive trolling – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • DIY flight turns fatal: 88-year-old Russian inventor killed in self-built helicopter; blades detach during takeoff – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Donald Trump Jr’s chest photo goes viral, he asks American Eagle to call him amid Sydney Sweeney row; his girlfriend reacts – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Nuvama shares sink 6.5% in 2 days amid tax raids tied to Jane Street probe – Delhi News Daily

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

You Might Also Like

World News

Meet 65-year-old ‘Gangster Granny’: UK’s drug cartel mastermind Deborah Mason, jailed for 20 years over £80m Cocaine trade | World News – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Deborah Mason(left), Roseanne Mason(right) (Source: Metropolitan police) A 65-year-old grandmother masterminded one of UK’s most sophisticated drug trafficking operations, has…

5 Min Read
World News

Poor Europeans live longer than rich Americans, study reveals stark contrast | World News – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

It’s a common perception that a wealthy person, with comfort, stability, and access to top-tier healthcare, is more likely to…

6 Min Read
World News

Bridge collapses that killed 7 were ‘acts of terrorism’, say Russian authorities – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Two train bridges in western Russia collapsed overnight in separate incidents now being investigated as “acts of terrorism”, according to…

5 Min Read
World News

Flash floods hit Texas Hill Country: Multiple dead, dozens rescued in overnight deluge; emergency ops underway – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Multiple people have died in Texas after heavy rains triggered flash floods, with rescue teams using boats to save those…

6 Min Read

Delhi News Daily

© Delhi News Daily Network.

Incognito Web Technologies

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?