Private investments in weapons
Majority finds investments in armaments industry justifiable
Is it morally okay to make money with arms as a private investor? The Germans are divided on this question. But with the Ukraine War, the mood turned.
Earn money with weapons and war? According to a survey, a narrow majority of Germans have no moral problems with it. A study of the comparison portal Verivox, which is available to the German Press Agency, shows a good 56 percent of the respondents in the armaments industry.
Accordingly, 21.4 percent of those surveyed will “definitely be justifiable” if private investors invest their money in companies that produce armaments. 34.9 percent consider this to be “rather justifiable”.
In contrast, almost 31 percent of private armaments investments find “rather reprehensible”. Almost 13 percent rejected them, the survey shows 1,012 people interviewed for the Innofact opinion research institute Innofact in May.
“Whether it is legitimate if private investors want to earn money with investments from arms manufacturers themselves is still controversial today,” says Oliver Maier, Managing Director of Verivox Finanz comparison GmbH. “But the majority has turned”. In a Verivox survey of 2022 before the Russian raid on Ukraine, 53 percent still had concerns about investments in armaments companies.
Shares of armaments companies have increased immensely since the Ukraine War. The prospect of higher state defense spending has driven many of the papers to record stands. The United States is avoiding Europe investing more money in armor. At the NATO summit in the Haag from Tuesday, US President Donald Trump is to be agreed to invest at least an amount of 3.5 percent of national gross domestic product in the future.
Men more open to armaments shares
The Verivox survey shows that men often find investments justifiable (around 64 percent). For women, the supporters in the minority are, however.
The acceptance of investments in weapons also influences uncertainty as to whether the United States would help a attacked NATO country. Around 30 percent of those surveyed find private arms investments more reasonable than before the Trump government. She considers 18 percent to be more problematic.
Opinions also differ as to whether sustainably classified funds can invest in armaments companies. 44 percent of those surveyed find that correctly, 37 percent wrong.
dpa
Source: Stern
