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Ear to the Ground

Business Is Booming

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Posted on Sep 6, 2009
Arms Sales
msnbc.com

Even with a faltering economy and a slump in overall global arms sales, business is booming for the U.S., which increased its annual market share to more than two-thirds of all foreign arms deals in 2008. That means that 68.4 percent of armaments trades involve U.S. sales.

The New York Times:

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 agreements 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.

The growth in weapons sales by the United States last year was particularly noticeable against worldwide trends. The value of global arms sales in 2008 was $55.2 billion, a drop of 7.6 percent from 2007 and the lowest total for international weapons agreements since 2005.

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By amunaor, September 7 at 5:39 pm #

What a proud epithet to live under.

This then is the pinnacle of human enlightenment and achievement.

A culmination of soulless brutes; merchants of hate, death and war.

Whose antithesis is thievery by slight of hand; via the Free Marketeers of Wall-Street casinos and insurance scammers that now permeate the globe.

Peace, Best Wishes and Hope

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By Jean Gerard, September 7 at 3:00 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Come on, Truthdig.  Please put up my comment on the scatalogical aspects of weapons and war.  The picture you are running is so-o-o-o- obvious!

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By Folktruther, September 7 at 12:31 pm #

Americans sooner or later will have to face the simple fact that the US power system is the greatest purveyer of violence and War Terrorism in the world.  And this War on Terror is going to be directed at the American people as well as other populations.

When a power system reaches the end of its life cycle and its economic, political and cultural systems are obsolete, the power structue can only maintain its power by violence and the fear of violence.  the US is currently in this position as its policies becaome increasingly barbaric. 

the American ruling class realize that the American power system has no future so they want to steal as much as possible now before it goes down.  And if you can’t steal from your own population that you rule, who can you steal from.  But this requires war abroad and a police state at home.  And a lot of hitech weapons.

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By jack, September 7 at 11:07 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

And now, munitions of choice are tipped with DU (depleted uranium) - safe to handle, toxic after explosive impact releases billions of hot nano-particles - the facts are in - the cause of Gulf War Syndrome and spiked Iraqi birth defects - and the particles are airborne - now detected globally - Malthus’ wet dream!

...and now being documented artistically - http://www.lamentatio.info/ - for scholars millennia from now, if there are any…

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By ChaoticGood, September 7 at 5:40 am #

Just start a war and sell arms to both sides.  Big money if you make sure that each side is matched so nobody wins too quickly.

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By Andrew, September 7 at 12:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Oh America! A light unto the world through the flashes
of gun barrels and a myriad of explosives. And, the
rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air…....

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By coloradokarl, September 7 at 12:04 am #

All modern war is about money and enriching The Corporation. Pipelines, Minerals or labor slaves It all comes down to money…...

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By Jean Gerard, September 6 at 9:35 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

And it’s all so scatalogical!  Amazing how far down this country has gone with its desire to dominate! Like a bunch of drunk teenage hoodlums.  A big part of the problem of course is that too many people earn their living producing weapons etc.  And once it’s produced, it has to move out so more can be made, because there aren’t any other jobs and because technology has us by the throat.  Government goes along with the deal. Even though they all know it’s wrong, they won’t work to change it.  Then when ordinary people try to convince the government to change, they are surveilled, black-mailed,  curtailed, jailed, and eventually, in good Christian terms, nailed. Yet if we don’t find ways to stop it, our children don’t have a chance of survival. And that’s the truth, Ruth.

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By Steve E, September 6 at 9:31 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Foot to the foor, have a’ter.

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By TheHaplessCapitalist, September 6 at 7:18 pm #

Selling weapons en masse to developing nations is a brilliant scheme on the behalf of the capitalist pigs who run this country.  in doing this, the pigs not only enrich themselves but also ensure that “developing” nations never actually develop beyond a nascent stage.  historically speaking, developing nations who have lucrative weapons deals with the US are plummeted into endless civil wars and violence.  it is fact the the majority of the deaths which occur around can be attributed to American-made weapons.

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By PatrickHenry, September 6 at 5:49 pm #

A booming weapons industry amid the terrible economy clearly demonstrates how screwed up this country really is. 

No money to heal, just to kill.

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By empyrius, September 6 at 5:46 pm #

But all America wants is peace!

Our international bankers and corporations need peace so they may better exploit you and me . . .; or no, actually they want unending war so they may better exploit you and me . . .

Please kill terror for me: please!

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