Disturbing…the other day I was listening to a news story about the continuing slaughter of civilians in the Darfur region of Sudan and the report stated that the Sudanese forces were strafing villages. And I had to ask, who makes those airplanes and why does Sudan have them? Who sold them those airplanes?
A little bit of snooping on the internet found this…
And these facts: “From 1998 to 2001, the USA, the UK, and France earned more income from arms sales to developing countries than they gave in aid.
The arms industry is unlike any other. It operates without regulation. It suffers from widespread corruption and bribes. And it makes its profits on the back of machines designed to kill and maim human beings.
So who profits most from this murderous trade? The five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the USA, UK, France, Russia, and China. Together, they are responsible for eighty eight per cent of reported conventional arms exports.
“We can’t have it both ways. We can’t be both the world’s leading champion of peace and the world’s leading supplier of arms.” Former US President Jimmy Carter.”
And still it goes on…
Here’s another good link
Hey Steve have you seen "Lord of War"? It's an excellent film on the topic.
ReplyDeleteI like Nicholas cage too so I'm biased.
Interesting with the slaughter going on in Sudan Sir Paul MacCartney is trying to save poor little seals from being harvested. Haven't we learned anything form the killing fields of Cambodia and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan..Hey look! The two subjects are actually related, arms sales took place back then too.
No, haven't seen it. I can put it in Netflix queu.
ReplyDeleteRead "Charlie Wilson's War if you want to read about the full $$$ extent of our involvement in the Soviet/Afghan war
I forgot to tie the arms sales going on during that period with the "Save the Seals" movement of the late 70's. it is to bad that people put fury little animals ahead of human lives. Perhaps it was and is because the people being murdered aren't like us, you know Anglo-saxon.
ReplyDeleteAh! Anglo-Saxon...very droll, Dave.
ReplyDelete