Is Smashing Windows Good for the Economy?

A lot of people think that just because they can see a lot of economic activity, that activity is creating economic growth. But when people have to rebuild the stuff that got broken in a natural disaster, a riot, on accident, or because some malicious criminal destroyed all their stuff, they have to use money that they would have spent on something completely different just to replace what they lost.

That isn't growth. It's going from a negative back to zero.

Remember this the next time someone tells you there's a "silver lining" after an earthquake or a flood because a lot of businesses will suddenly have a lot of extra work to do. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeE0BGOGhzI