Hate to be a debbie downer and disagree with Ike but the money spent on arms and warfare would not neccesarily be spent on noble things if that spending didn't happen. In a democracy, the money would instead go to whatever cause swing voters and the influential king-maker class think is important. In the US these items tend to be causes of the middle class,not causes of the poor. The middle class,with their very basic needs met tends to focus on their fears and trendy boogy-man of the times instead of the plight of their poor neighbors.