On thinking... too much

Free will was given to mankind as a blessed curse.  We contemplate everything! From our existence to our being, there nothing out there that isn't or hasn't been or won't be conceived of. I can't quite grasp if our minds are leading us to our detriment or our benefit.
I took an intro political science class once, and when my professor threw out this thought that made me re-think. He talked about how Italy and how much it warred against other nations for centuries, yet during these periods of war, it's made more technological advancement than other more peaceful countries. It's to say that technology is fueled by the need for it (i.e. war). I'm not sure if that's necessarily a causal relationship. After all, the terrains of every country is different, and cultural values are different as well. One country's leader may encourage technology while another may suppress it. So does it mean that war is essential to a prospering economy? (I was assuming that advancing technology is correlated...maybe even causes... a blooming economy.)
War, depending on how you look at it, is a bad thing and a good thing for the human condition. If we think of how many families stressed, how many people wounded/killed... but if we think of how many economic gains, and improved living conditions, based on those technology, then it's really hard to even compare the good and the bad of war, or of the human mind and capacity...

Bad economy means what again?

I don't know how people starts interpreting the meaning of the term 'bad economy'...

Here are some arbitrary (or not) meaning:

You won't find the job you want.

People expect you to have tons of experience for low pay.

Things will generally cost more but it doesn't mean you are paying for something better.

Don't leave your job because you won't find another one.

Find more frowns than smiles.

Whatever it means, all I know is that finding any entry level position is difficult. What does it mean to you?