Coorilation between Poverty & War

What came first, Poverty or War? It's kind of like the chicken or the egg quote. The roots of war lie in poverty. Inequalities in regard to politics, economics and societal issues are all factors of poverty and contribute to the rise of dissent which can lead to war. Ironically, while poverty may cause conflicts that lead to war, it also has the potential to create more poverty.War can send a community into disarray. People are taken out of their communities and forced to fight while large amounts of money are spent to support and sustain the war. For example, the cost of the war between the United States and Iraq and Afghanistan was estimated to be 3.7 trillion and rising as of June 2011.

Think about what that money could do for our country and its' people! For starving people, homeless people, struggling families, the educational system, health care, finding a cure for cancer... the list goes on and on! Is it possible that peace is more valuable than we had previously thought it to be?