Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children… This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.

— Former U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in a speech on April 16, 1953

The arms trade is a major cause of human rights abuses. Some governments spend more on military expenditure than on social development, communications infrastructure and health combined. While every nation has the right and the need to ensure its security, in these changing times, arms requirements and procurements may need to change too.

The Arms Trade is Big Business

• Global military expenditure and arms trade is also the largest spending in the world at 1,000 billion dollars, annually.
• As world trade globalizes, so does the trade in arms. In order to make up for lack of domestic sales, newer markets must be created.
• USA, Russia, France and Britain do the largest businesses of arms trade in the world. Sometimes, these arms sales are made secretly and sometimes knowingly to human rights violators, military dictatorships and corrupt governments. This does not promote democracy in those nations. Last updated Tuesday, October 30, 2007.

Read article: The Arms Trade is Big Business

World Military Spending

• Levels of military spending around the world had been drastically reduced compared to Cold War levels.
• United States spending remained close to Cold War levels and world spending is on the rise again though concentrated amongst the top few spenders.
• The highest spender is the US, reaching some $700 billion per year.
• This is almost as much as the rest of the world.
• It is more than the rest of the G7 countries (most economically advanced counties), combined
• It also spends more than all of its potential enemies combined. Last updated Saturday, March 01, 2008.

Read article: World Military Spending

Training Human Rights Violators

• A US military training school, the School of the Americas, has trained many of the worst human rights violators and dictators in various Latin American countries.
• Some of the worst dictators and human rights abusers in the developing world have passed through the school's doors, including people like Roberto D'Aubisson from El Salvador and Manuel Noriega of Panama.
• The US Army maintain that the school was set up to preserve democracy. Last updated Tuesday, October 30, 2001.

Read article: Training Human Rights Violators

Military Propaganda for Arms Sales

• Arms contractors and maintain that arms sales are essential to foster good relations and also create more jobs at home.
  • Arms companies selling to one country will often demonize their neighbors. Those countries are then demonized to us so we purchase more. That does not foster good relations.
  • Often, to secure a sale, the manufacture of the arms also goes to the target nation. Therefore, jobs are created, but not at home.
• Propaganda comes in various forms, often via manipulative advertising campaigns.
• Arms corporations benefit from alliances like NATO and conflicts such as Kosovo, where opportunity for sales increases. Last updated Saturday, June 21, 2003.

Read article: Military Propaganda for Arms Sales

Small Arms—they cause 90% of civilian casualties

• The growing availability of small arms has been a major factor in the increase in the number of conflicts.
• In modern conflicts over 80 percent of all casualties have been civilian. 90 percent of these are caused by small arms. Last updated Saturday, January 21, 2006.

Read article: Small Arms—they cause 90% of civilian casualties

A Code of Conduct for Arms Sales

• The European Union has tried to take a responsible step in introducing a Code of Conduct in the sales of arms.
• Though this does not mean that their arms sales are not fraught with problems. Last updated Sunday, October 29, 2006.

Read article: A Code of Conduct for Arms Sales

Landmines

• Civilians are the main landmine casualties.
• President Clinton, in 1994, was the first leader to call for an international ban on anti-personnel landmines. Yet in 1997 when they all met in Ottawa, Canada, to sign a treaty to ban the use, the USA weren't there. They still refuse to sign.
• Some signatories also continue to use landmines. Last updated Monday, September 18, 2006.

Read article: Landmines

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