Bull Market in Arms: US is World's Leading Weapons Supplier w/ 68.4% Share
by Thom Shanker | September 6, 2009
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Despite a recession that knocked down global arms sales last year, the United States expanded its role as the world’s leading weapons supplier, increasing its share to more than two-thirds of all foreign armaments deals, according to a new Congressional study.
The United States signed weapons agreements valued at $37.8 billion in 2008, or 68.4 percent of all business in the global arms bazaar, up significantly from American sales of $25.4 billion the year before.
Italy was a distant second, with $3.7 billion in worldwide weapons sales in 2008, while Russia was third with $3.5 billion in arms sales last year — down considerably from the $10.8 billion in weapons deals signed by Moscow in 2007.
Take weapons from the citizens
but arm countries who can wipe thousands off the earth at a time.
He who lives by the sword....You know the rest.
But we are making the world safe from Al-Qaeda, aren't we?
I wonder how much DOMESTIC weapons sales have risen in the last year. I would estimate the same 68.4% percentage as with international sales.
Monstrous.
Horrible. Downsize the government, the Fed, the bureaucracy, cut this Empire down to decent human scale.
bump
. Bring the troops home. End the Stupid wars.
Prepare & Share the Message of Freedom through Positive-Peaceful-Activism.
Interesting.... I don't know whether to
see this as the military/industrial complex being who it is... and getting reported on in the New York Times....
,,,,,OR to see this as part of the media hype to get the US citizens to get rid of guns. Hmmmmm I don't necessarily trust the NYT or "Congressional Studies"..... hmmmm. Thought provoking.
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"Not armies, not nations, have advanced the race; but here and there, in the course of ages, an individual has stood up and cast his shadow over the world." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6pAcBXt2j8
Thomas Jefferson: “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."
Viva La Revolucion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmaTNf4YhEs
A Nation's Character Revealed
* I will add this regarding Italy....
Who was the distant runner-up in war-formenting profiteering around the globe? Was it the evil commies in China? The rascally Russians? Not at all: it was the neo-fascist, oligarchic regime of staunch American ally, media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, "with $3.7 billion in worldwide weapons agreements in 2008."
Talk, as they say, is cheap; and any nation that talks of "peace" and leads the world, year after year, in profiteering from weapons of war and death is a nation drunk on the runoff from its own bulllshit.
http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-lates...
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"I truly wish that real life would no longer surpass the worst excesses of my nightmarish imaginings... Arthur Silber **
"I think we are living in a world of lies: lies that don't even know they are lies, because they are the children and grandchildren of lies." ~ Chris Floyd
Bump
bump for discussion
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