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US remains top military spender, peace researchers say
Jun 8, 2009, 13:41 GMT
Stockholm - The United States kept its spot as the world's largest military spender in 2008 while China jumped to second place, a Swedish-based peace research institute reported Monday.
Last year, global military expenditures totalled 1.464 trillion dollars or 217 dollars per capita, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said, adding that the global increase was 4 per cent in real terms on 2007 and up 45 per cent since 1999.
The US had a 41-per-cent share of world military spending or 607 billion dollars in 2008, President George W Bush's last year in office. The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq fuelled spending that was the highest in the US since World War II, SIPRI said.
The US spent 'seven times' more than China, SIPRI researcher Sam Perlo-Freeman said at a presentation of the institute's yearbook.
China was estimated to account for almost 6 per cent of global spending or some 85 billion dollars while France, Britain, and Russia each accounted for some 4 per cent, the SIPRI Yearbook said, noting that Japan dropped to seventh place, just behind Germany.
In Asia, spending increased in China, India, South Korea and Taiwan while cuts were made in Indonesia, Pakistan and Japan. In the Middle East spending fell slightly in real terms in 2008, SIPRI said.
Algeria and Brazil were other countries where spending increased.
The institute also reported an increase in combined arms sales from the world's top 100 companies with sales of 347 billion dollars in 2007, the latest year covered by SIPRI.
Of the 100 companies, 44 were US-based and accounted for 61 per cent of arms sales, while 32 European companies combined for a 31- per-cent share. Companies in Russia, Japan, Israel, and India had most of the remainder. China was not included in the estimate.
Most arms companies were 'relatively unaffected by the global financial crisis' due to rising US expenditure and stable spending in Europe but less access to credit may impact some companies and merger plans, SIPRI said.
'The arms industry, unlike the car industry is dependent on government spending rather than consumer spending,' Perlo-Freeman told the German Press Agency dpa.
He added that the arms industry also had a 'cushion,' citing revenues built up along with a backlog of orders and long leadtimes.
The US and Russia remained the world's largest arms exporters 2004-2008, accounting for 31 and 25 per cent, respectively. China and India were the world's largest importers although Russian deliveries and orders to China declined in 2007 and 2008. Other big importers included the United Arab Emirates, Greece and South Korea.
In its annual outlook, the institute said there were 16 major armed conflicts in 2008, two more than in 2007. Another trend highlighted in the annual report was the increase in recent years of 'one-sided violence' that targets civilians by government forces, militia, rebel forces and others.
Conflicts that increased in intensity included Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Peru, Turkey, and Israel, with the ongoing tensions in the Palestinian territories.
In 2008, SIPRI registered 60 peacekeeping operations. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan was the largest single multilateral operation with over 51,000 troops. There were 19 operations in Africa and Europe, respectively.
Lakhdar Brahimi, SIPRI board member and former United Nations representative for Afghanistan and Iraq, said it was 'alarming' that demand for peacekeepers was growing and was not sure the UN could sustain that level.
Brahimi also expressed concern about the ongoing peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
According to the yearbook, eight states have almost 8,400 operational nuclear weapons of which some 2,000 were kept at a high level of readiness. However, including weapons in storage, the total number of nuclear weapons was closer to 20,000.
SIPRI researchers noted 'a resurgence of interest in nuclear disarmament' last year and various initiatives to reduce nuclear weapons while programmes in North Korea and Iran continued to generate controversy.
North Korea's recent underground nuclear test as well as missile tests were signs the country was 'working rather systematically to create both a weapon and also a delivery system for it,' researcher Ian Anthony told dpa, noting that North Korea likely opted for missiles since its neighbours 'all had very effective air defences against aircraft.'
In his overview, SIPRI director Bates Gill noted the high expectations pinned on US President Barack Obama, but also expressed fears that continued 'fragmentation of violence in weak states' will cause more suffering for civilians.
The Swedish parliament created SIPRI as an independent foundation in 1966.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
from the site's drug addict
the US is the world's biggest war maker.
..someone had to do a study to conclude that the USA is the largest spender on defense in the world? WHo was this, the Society of the Obviuous?
A post with 27 words and you misspelled 2 of them. Genius is all that comes to mind ;)
...you're mom(s) are OK...they're pulling her, and her girlfriend, apart after that disasterous bout with crazy glue and the nun's habits! Now run along and let the grown ups talk.
SP should get a trophy for the most outrageous remarks posted here. They have to come from someone with a totally demented mind - unbelievable!!
is a primate, prime, I mean, example of what Paraquat soaked Mexican brick weed does to a person's head. Sp is doing his best to kill of his last two semi-functioning brain cells.
The USA will rule the world!
We are the world’s leaders along with our pets the British, descendants of the glorious British Empire.
The world belongs to us; we are its rightful leaders, owners and protectors.
The world needs us and we need its resources and we will take and control it all!
Our military is the world’s strongest, best and most advanced and complete.
No other nation has the weapons we do, we can fight anywhere for as long as we want and win, nobody else can fight half way across the planet like we do, they don’t have such weapons and machines like we do!
We are the world’s best and true champions, you may all be our slaves and property and look up to our superiority with fear and submission!
Easy does it , times have changed , there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Let us start to provide decent health care for all,it's a matter of civilization .All the money that went to the military industrial complex could have provided for that and still leave us with a decent army.
I'll quote you ...Now run along and let the grown ups talk....You might try to set the example.Educated people exchange arguments meant to convince other people of their point of view .What about yours ?
Sounds to me like another peacenik non-study, designed to point up the level of US defence spending with a view to tarring you as warmongers or something. In fact, if Europe, with its 25% larger Economy, pulled its bloody weight a bit more the US wouldn't have to spend so much. You've been defending their interests for years in return for sneers, censure and at best 'moral' support.
Oh, by the way, nice to see SP5, the undead, braindead corpse of lance has risen from the crypt again. A Vampire as smart and fearsome as Count Duckula. You even make SPthree-and-a-half and SP4 look witty by comparison. Last time I advised you to stick a bulb of Garlic in your gob. Now, I suggest you remove it and reinsert it in the orifice you talk through instead.
Yeah, and we need all the stockpiles of WMD, including the left over naphalm and agent orange from NAM. Burning the faces and skin off of kids was good practice for our war on terror. Now we can use the WMD to take out all the terrorists, the families and friends of terrorists, and anyone who we suspect of possibly becoming a terrorist in the future.
We don't need no stinking trials. Guilty is what they all are, including the hundreds of the worst of the worst so very magnanimously let go by our compassionate conservative ex-pres. War is Hell, so get over it.
You dog out the guy for '2 missspelled words out of 27'. Guess what? Count again. There are 28 words. Learn to count!
While the rest of the world is on their knees praying to Alah. We will be just peachy with our arms.
5(?) million dead in the Congo and no one here even knows about it. Makes Afghanistan and Iraaq look like a street shooting. hell, I'd be the first to see us pull out of helping half the free world keep security, if I could be sure they wouldn't let it slide and the US have to come fix it again. About half of our military budget is for helping free nations stay free.
27, 28, what's the difference. The idiot doesn't make any sense, no matter how many little words he uses. By pointing that out, all you did was raise SP's stupid level one more notch.
The US is OK? What fantasy world do you live in? While you're looking for a little reality, here's some more: the rest of the world does not pray to Allah. Some do. Not all.
So you got arms. So what. When are you going to grow legs and run off and play with the rest of your Kindergarten class?
You got arms? When are you going to develop a brain?
Sudan. The Taiwan straight. Gaza. The Korean demilitarized zone. I've never heard of the 'peace research institute' offering up their latest research on peaceful resolution to these active and potential conflicts.
Too busy tallying arms sales, I guess.
So tell us how spending all that money on weapons has helped the Congolese ,as you are suggesting that .Or even how all that money has helped any nation at all for that matter .Meanwhile I cannot help but notice that the second largest spender needs only one fifth of that sum for their defense .
Could it be that the difference is caused by the fact that there simply is no powerful lobby of weapon merchants over there ?
Do some research, moron. Arms tallies are a small part of their mandate.
Founded in 1959, the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) is an independent research institute known for its effective synergy of basic and policy-relevant research. In addition to such research, PRIO conducts graduate training and is engaged in the promotion of peace through conflict resolution, dialogue and reconciliation, public information and policymaking activities. The Institute’s working language is English.
Interesting. If this organisation specialises in conflict resolution I presume they have addressed the problems in the regions alluded to by 'Where's the research'. You appear to be well informed about this. What research has been conducted, what, if any conclusions were drawn, and where can I access this material?
'Do some research, moron'
Plainly not uttered by a graduate of the peace institute.
I thank you for that kindly reply (that's Mr. Moron to you, btw).
Might I offer a suggestion? Please re-read my original post and add this topic to your research efforts: IRONY
~~~~
'Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own ...' -- Jonathan Swift
I'm afraid that by employing irony you offended against a politically correct shibboleth. You should know that the pontifications of pacfist organisations should be accepted as revealed truth without asking difficult questions. It's too bad of you! Had you stated openly that you doubted the utility of their output I shudder to think what may have happened. Are you not aware that every time someone does so another Guardian reader dies?
We need no one; we and our pets the British, (a little island of the northern west coast of Europe) will rule the world.
We are the ones who have taken on THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN.
Before it was the Europeans but fortunately they decided to destroy each other with two world wars (trying to divide the world between them)giving us the chance to fulfill our great destiny with our huge homogeneous economy and vast resources of our huge country to reach our maximum industrial potential and take over the world.
This is the time of the great American rule, all you insignificant Europeans, (British and the sort…) know your place as our lap dogs and we will use you as favored subjects among our global dominion.
THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEM SELVES, WE ALONE ARE MORE POWERFULL THAN ALL THE REST TOGETHER!
The only thing you know about irony is when your mommy presses your pants.
'Satire: a literary work holding up human vices an follies to ridicule or scorn.'
What you posted was not satire, but sh*tire, idiot.
By the way if you want to see your face, look at the south end of a north bound horse.
Got any more non sequiturs to throw about? moron.
SIPRI is a NEUTRAL world famous organization,used as a reliable source of information in academical non partisan circles.It carries out extensive research and has a formidable database: www.sipri.org/
Thanks, I'll take a look at it. Just one point. In Social science there is no such thing as an academic non-partisan circle.
Someone will be the top military spender whether we like it or not. Let's all hope that good intentions accompany any nation that has a military budget.
Q) Got any more non sequiturs to throw about? moron.
You crack me up. It's just too easy to send you into conniptions.
Peace!
In Social science there is no such thing as an academic non-partisan circle....A bold statement made BEFORE you even checked on the Peace Institute .We are currently waiting for you to produce some evidence of that AFTER your investigation .
...someone can found the Insititute for, Rationality, Common Sense and Clarity?
Admittedly, it's almost too much to ask for.
You say: 'You crack me up.'
I'm not one of your kind. What you do with your crack, in any position, is none of my business. Go toe-tapping at the next GOP convention and you'll get your fill.
You, the local idiot and drug addict say '..someone can found the Insititute for, Rationality, Common Sense and Clarity?'
Get real, EssPee. Admittedly, it's almost too much to ask for.
To @Truebrit,
Still haven't found time to check on it, but will do so now.
Perhaps I was hoping that someone would say they didn't believe it and that you would be the unlucky Guardian reader.
page: 1
SP4: SureJun 8th, 2009 - 14:45:44
...after all, who do you think keeps the peace?
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