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Originally Posted by nexxo
...but not reliable in the long term (or even in the short). Who says that the guys you bribed today will still be in charge tomorrow? Conflict investment is to make sure that they are.
Again, you have to step beyond the here-and-now perspective for a bit. This has nothing to do with one particular government being in office; this is the long-term cumulative effort of a whole bunch of interested parties, part business, part political (because it is tied up in business). The City (as in Wall Street, or London) will always be the City, no matter who is in office at a particular time. Business will always be in business.
To get back to the "would you buy the airline to use your frequent flyer miles?" question: well, if you want to be absolutely sure that you can fly when you want, where you want, for as ling as you want, at any time now or in the future, then yes, the best thing to do is to own the airline. Or at least be a major share holder. 
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From a pure business perspective it is far more reliable to bribe and woo a well established well organized dictatorship. Their is far less risk involve. War is always uncertain.
This completely ignores the fact that political will is required for ANY democracy to win a war. That political will comes from the people and the people could care less about business interests. For the people to sacrifice their sons, daughters, bothers, and sisters etc...It has to be for more than money.
If you want to fly when every you want, you buy or lease an airplane, not an airline.