Purchase Solution

Eisenhower Guns vs Butter Discussion

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

In a speech before the American Society of Newspaper Editors (April 16, 1953), President Eisenhower stated: "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, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

Please comment and express concurrence with President Eisenhower by arguing/explaining his view.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

A nation has to make wise decision on where to allocate its limited resources. It has to decide, for example, how much to invest in "gun" and how much in "butter". President Eisenhower was concerned on too much resources allocated for war related activities. This was not beneficial for the society at large.

Solution Preview

The essence of President Eisenhower's speech is about mis-allocation of resources. It is about whether to invest in gun or in butter. The choice of country's resources is either should go for security or for food. Due to limited resources, investment in one area will take up resources for investment in others. If factors of production, like labor and capital, are channeled towards investing in industries that will ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Economic Issues and Concepts

This quiz provides a review of the basic microeconomic concepts. Students can test their understanding of major economic issues.

Elementary Microeconomics

This quiz reviews the basic concept of supply and demand analysis.

Basics of Economics

Quiz will help you to review some basics of microeconomics and macroeconomics which are often not understood.

Economics, Basic Concepts, Demand-Supply-Equilibrium

The quiz tests the basic concepts of demand, supply, and equilibrium in a free market.

Pricing Strategies

Discussion about various pricing techniques of profit-seeking firms.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Opportunity costs

    Or, 1 butter=4 guns But in case of Nire 1 butter= 12 guns So Nire is having a comparative advantage in producing guns.

  • Production Possibilities Frontier Conditions

    There is a good on each axis, with the typical example being "Guns and Butter". Society can produce either only guns, or only butter. It can also produce a mixture of the two. This is capturing the idea of limited resources.

  • decreasing marginal opportunity cost

    A common example is gun vs butter debate. The resources that society has are limited therefore its decisions to use those resources to have more guns (more weapons) means that it must have less butter (fewer consumer goods).

  • Present Value, Future Value, & Opportunity Cost

    A common example is gun vs butter debate. The resources that society has are limited therefore its decisions to use those resources to have more guns (more weapons) means that it must have less butter (fewer consumer goods).

  • Addressing the Vietnam Conflict

    Bush believed we could have both "guns AND butter" in the recent war with Iraq.

  • Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's WW2 Leadership

    Dwight Eisenhower & his post Tunisia campaign in WW2 - 150 words. 2. Analysis using the Polis paradigm - 150 words. 3. Analysis using the Incremental paradigm - 150 words. 4. Your conclusion based on the discussion in 2 & 3 - 150 words.

  • CLEP Study

    In order to produce 20 tons of butter, this society must reduce gun production to 200 guns per year. Suppose this society were to increase butter production by another 20 tons, to 40 tons per year.

  • OPPORTUNITY COST PRINCIPLE

    A common example is gun vs butter debate. The resources that society has are limited therefore its decisions to use those resources to have more guns (more weapons) means that it must have less butter (fewer consumer goods).

  • Foundations of Microeconomics: Consumers and Firms and Opportunity Cost

    A common example is gun vs butter debate. The resources that society has are limited therefore its decisions to use those resources to have more guns (more weapons) means that it must have less butter (fewer consumer goods).

View More Related Solutions