General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We just can't afford to take care of all the poor people in the world. [View all]hfojvt
(37,573 posts)Take General Dynamics, which I just looked up
annual reports here http://investorrelations.gd.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=85778&p=irol-reportsannual
For 2013 they report $31.2 billion in revenue and only 11.8% of that is earnings. The other almost 90% is going to expenses, payroll and supplies (and so on). They even set aside over $1 billion to pay taxes (although how much was actually paid is seemingly not known as it is in the report as "provision" for income taxes.
They only paid out 34% of their net earnings in dividends. Which would be $850 million, the other $1.7 billion staying with the company. Which, even if all of that is hoarded is no more than 8% of revenue.
And while rich people are like me, in that they do not spend all that they make (gasp), they don't hoard all that they make either.
And a good portion of war machine spending doesn't even goto contractors, it goes to soldiers. At least 25% if the DOD budget, with another equaivalent amount going to veterans. (I am surprised it isn't higher, but don't want to do more digging, but notice it does not include civilian employees of DOD, apparently)