UK is world’s biggest arms dealer

5 Responses to “UK is world’s biggest arms dealer”

1. Ashley Posted: Jun 18th, 2008 at 9:41 pm

   Why do they call it a ‘defense’ industry? Just who are they trying to kid? This Digby Jones appears to be trying to make out that this is something to be celebrated, I can’t celebrate $20.1 billion worth more munitions in the world to blow people apart. Hellfire missiles and cluster bombs wooohooo, why not spend it on schools? Hospitals? In fact why not just burn it? imo it would be a more morally acceptable way to get rid of the money! Here’s quick rewrite: - Britain was the world’s biggest merchant of death last year, accounting for a third of global bloodshed, the Government’s trade promotion organisation said. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) said British purveyors of fine quality killing implements had added $20.1 billion in new business last year, giving them a larger share of global arms exports than the United States and more blood on their hands than can possibly be imagined. “As demonstrated by this outstanding export performance, the UK has a first-class warmongering industry, with some of the world’s most technologically sophisticated companies specialising in the ending of life when they could be trying to do something positive,” Minister for Trade, Investment and death peddlers Digby Jones said. UKTI said the British figures were boosted by orders for Eurofighter Typhoon jets (which sounds really harmless, perhaps they could be renamed armageddon-bringers, baby-killers or something else more suitable) from Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest arms buyer, which imported $32.8 billion in weapons over the last five years (due to fears over the stability of the middle east due to western meddling). The United States still tops the world for the last five years with $66.7 billion in total arms exports. ‘Yay for the never ending war on terror’ a Raytheon representative quipped. Britain was second with $56.1 billion and Russia third with $35 billion, it said. The War of Terror continues…… Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

2. Charlie Castelnau Posted: Jun 19th, 2008 at 5:06 am

   Agree whole-heartedly with Ashley. Just one thing though - Britain can call it defense, but it’s a special form of defense called “pre-emptive defense”. Other nations may call it “terrorism”. Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

3. 3 year old kid Posted: Jun 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm

   Its a racket, a money laundering industry on top of all the other evil things. Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

4. 3 year old kid Posted: Jun 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

   Thats a good one CC, its part of the Terrorism industry. Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this

5. BKKPip Posted: Jan 31st, 2009 at 10:31 am

   Be as idealistic as you wish to chaps and chapesses. However, this trade will always exist, human nature being as it is, so it’s better that we’re putting the money in our coffers, creating tax revenue that pays for our NHS and our children’s education’s, than some tin-pot dictatorship somewhere where the money will go into the pockets of bloated tyrants. I, for one, am glad to see something positive about the state of Britain’s economy Reply | Quote selected text | Link to this