Conflict capitalism: A deep dive into the interconnected world of arms trade, private military companies, and political agendas

Abstract

This study provides an in-depth examination of the conflict capitalism: the intricate design of the connection between armed conflict, arms industry, and political processes. The research is focused on realism, power and national interest to influence state action. The investigation gives greater depth to the disturbing correlation of wars and the rise of the stock prices of defense corporations, including the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the Israel-Palestine war. The study then explores the conflict from the perspective of the conflict theory, questioning the dominant narratives of global conflicts and looking at the structural forces that sustain conflict. Key concerns are the economic necessities of private industry in the arms business, the nature and balance of the business and its ethical or global aspects. The analysis also reveals the impacts of neoliberal imperialism and how the arms trade and complex economic interest and geopolitical power are all a consequence of neoliberal economic policies. Finally, the studies offer a more nuanced and advanced understanding of conflict capitalism, which transcends a traditional universalist perspective and approach to the conflict, qualifying the effects and intersection of economic interests and current international conflicts.