the more things change, the more they stay the same

From Waging War In Waziristan: The British Struggle in the Land of Bin Laden, 1849-1947:

Monies gained[...] were used to buy armaments. It is telling that tribesmen continued to spend excessively on weapons, as opposed to long-term agriculture and infrastructure investment initiatives. The desire for modern weapons acted as an obstacle to tribal political and economic progression.

*points at federal budget dollars allocated to "defense" vs. health care, education, and other domestic needs*

Yeah. Human nature really doesn't change, does it?