Discourse and policy on war economies has tended to treat them as separate and distinct from both the pre- and post- conflict economy. In reality, war economies tend to represent simply more violent versions of the neo-patrimonialism and external trade relations that characterize many developing states both before and after conflict. Assuming that peace will inevitably resolve the legacies that war economies leave behind is thus a forlorn hope, argues Neil Cooper. In addition, the discourse and control agenda surrounding conflict trade has been constructed in a way that negatively affects peace building. In particular, the focus on certain pariahs or specific conflict goods tends to understate the complexity of war economies and the social function they serve - features that persist into peace.