Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - USA Number 1 (by far!) (in arms at least)

roachboy · 06-10-2004, 07:01 AM

it seems naieve to limit consideration of american miltiary expenditures----look (for example) at the international arms trade in general, of which military expenditures constitute a part:

some data for your delectation:

http://www.globalpolicy org/empire/intervention/2004/0421weapons.htm

http://datacentre2.chass.utoronto.ca/military/

http://web.amnesty.org/web/ttt.nsf/j.../proliferation

(i know, i know--conservatives will see amnesty and go "eeew...." but just read the article---it is short, had a pretty graph showing long-term trends in weapons production and has some links at the end)

http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/jdw.ja...=061004144701?

if you are curious about more general stasticial/information sources on international trade/globalilzation, which can be narrowed to look at the weapons trade in particular (takes some work):

http://jolis.worldbankimflib.org/nldbsmi.htm

so let's think about this for a minute. leading all others, but not alone in this regard by any means, american firms sell all kinds of weapons systems to anyone who can pay (within certain legal limits of course--and righteous private firms, those paragons of efficiency, would **never** circumvent legal restrictions on arms sales--think about the fine example provided by the reagan administration with reference to nicagarua). political instability is intensified by the availability of weapons. the american military, under the umbrella of certain policy guidlines, no matter how irrational (witness iraq), can get sent in to "Deal With " local fiasco by--well what?

at every step of this (obviously simplified, but not unreasonable) scenario, people die but profits continue to flow in to weapons systems manufacturers.

sounds good for business.

weapons systems manufacture does not really have to deal with problems of overproduction in the way say a refrigerator firm would. wars, big or little, address overproduction. the fact that actual human beings die is secondary.

profit is of course, in this political climate, above reproach, an unqualified good

therefore the situation above would have to be seen as win-win.

just a perspective to consider. for your amusement.

06-10-2004, 07:01 AM	#13 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	it seems naieve to limit consideration of american miltiary expenditures----look (for example) at the international arms trade in general, of which military expenditures constitute a part: some data for your delectation: http://www.globalpolicy org/empire/intervention/2004/0421weapons.htm http://datacentre2.chass.utoronto.ca/military/ http://web.amnesty.org/web/ttt.nsf/j.../proliferation (i know, i know--conservatives will see amnesty and go "eeew...." but just read the article---it is short, had a pretty graph showing long-term trends in weapons production and has some links at the end) http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/jdw.ja...=061004144701? if you are curious about more general stasticial/information sources on international trade/globalilzation, which can be narrowed to look at the weapons trade in particular (takes some work): http://jolis.worldbankimflib.org/nldbsmi.htm so let's think about this for a minute. leading all others, but not alone in this regard by any means, american firms sell all kinds of weapons systems to anyone who can pay (within certain legal limits of course--and righteous private firms, those paragons of efficiency, would never circumvent legal restrictions on arms sales--think about the fine example provided by the reagan administration with reference to nicagarua). political instability is intensified by the availability of weapons. the american military, under the umbrella of certain policy guidlines, no matter how irrational (witness iraq), can get sent in to "Deal With " local fiasco by--well what? at every step of this (obviously simplified, but not unreasonable) scenario, people die but profits continue to flow in to weapons systems manufacturers. sounds good for business. weapons systems manufacture does not really have to deal with problems of overproduction in the way say a refrigerator firm would. wars, big or little, address overproduction. the fact that actual human beings die is secondary. profit is of course, in this political climate, above reproach, an unqualified good therefore the situation above would have to be seen as win-win. just a perspective to consider. for your amusement. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite