Global arms spending hits record despite downturn

Global arms spending hits record despite downturn

www.reuters.com

Worldwide military spending surged to a record $1.5 trillion last year, defying an economic downturn...Military spending last year rose 5.9 percent in real terms compared to 2008 with the United States accounting for more than half of that increase..."Although the USA led the rise, it was not alone. Of those countries for which data was available, 65 percent increased their military spending in real terms in 2009."

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, there's no business like war business. Its just one of those "gotta have" things for billions on planet earth...often ahead of even food and certainly, for many, ahead of mere fripperies like, oh, shall we say medicine or clean water.

Poor old planet earth. We all get what we pay for, in the end...

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by silent thunder


Agreed but downturns in economics like the GFC do not effect Goverment spending.
They just borrow more money from their banker mates, printed out of thin air, then paid to themselves and friends in the arms business and then paid for by us taxpayers and our grandchildren.

So wheres the problem??? War is BIG BUSINESS and business is GOOD!!!

Not at all surprised by this. I believe a state would want to spend more on arms than anything else simply to defend what may be left after some sort of economic downfall. Same could be said for people, but I would assume people would put food, water above weapons. Though one could argue that weapons may be needed to get food or water in a dire situation, perhaps like what may happen in the future with water replacing oil as the rare resource everyone needs.