Global arms trade is one thing which shows the complete failure of United Nations. Reminds me of the word of Late Fela Anikulapo Kuti who ask what’s united in united nations?

“When a country decides to invest in arms, rather than in education, housing, the environment, and health services for its people, it is depriving a whole generation of its right to prosperity and happiness. We have produced one firearm for every ten inhabitants of this planet, and yet we have not bothered to end hunger when such a feat is well within our reach. Our international regulations allow almost three-quarters of all global arms sales to pour into the developing world with no binding international guidelines whatsoever. Our regulations do not hold countries accountable for what is done with the weapons they sell, even when the probable use of such weapons is obvious.”

The above statement by Oscar Arias Sanchez, a former President of Costa Rica paints the real and sad picture of of global arms business by western nations to third world nations with Africa and Islamic countries been chief. Dictators, monarchs, theocrats or whatever categories of leader or rulers who desire to perpetuate their power over their people, do exactly what Oscar Sanchez was talking about; investing in arms to protect their reigns rather that give the basics of life that will ensure a future to their people and nations.
It’s needless to say that the global arms business is big business and like most things in life, for every win, some have to loose. Despite the concept of ‘win-win’ that is sort of common now, especially in corporate circles (which is mostly a charade anyway), the global arms business has no ‘win-win’ end for the vast majority of people who are the victims of arms business. The oppressors or government that prioritize arms over the basic welfare of their people lost in the end any way one look at it. So who wins?
Let’s start by taking a look at the players in the global arms trade. The biggest manufactures and suppliers of arms (including small and light weapons, military assault weapons, heavy military equipment, military aircrafts, naval systems, missiles, military applicable technology, munitions of all grades and calibers etc.) are the United States, Russia, China, France, and United Kingdom. Note that these countries are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Others are, Germany, Israel, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey and Canada. The five permanent members of UN Security Council with Germany and Italy control some 85% of global arms supply! It’s needless to say these nations are economic giants. Note also that they are relatively peaceful nations. They have high education levels, excellent physical and social infrastructures, developed medical sector, high employment rates with thousands employed in the arms manufacturing and supply industries.
This article is not aimed at giving statistics. Figures abound on the web from reputable authorities on these matter. Neither is it about strategy they use to destabilize other nations so they can sell arms to them. This article is about the loser of this multibillion dollar business.
Now, who are the biggest buyers of arms? Simply put, developing countries! Available statistics may not show African nations either because most arms deal are shady and under the table adding to the fact that yes, many could actually not afford to spend like richer Islamic nations. One will easily note that these heavy buyers of arms have the least human development indices yet spend billions in weapon procurements. Of course every nations should have a military strong enough to defend itself. These nations have lower literacy rates and educational developments, high unemployment, infrastructural deficits, hunger and diseases etc. The most pathetic being many African nations always in all sorts of armed conflict. The people are busy killing themselves and enriching the western powers.
Until the so-called leaders of third world nations wake up and wise up. Until the people themselves realize that they are all fools, they will continue to be poor, hunger and diseases ravaged nations killing themselves and making the rich nations richer, more powerful and secured. Until then, Africa, Islamic nations especially will continue to be the losers. Africa will continue to be everything negative, Islamic terrorist will continue rampaging and destroying their on nations and further empowering the west the supposedly hate.
The words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Former U.S. President, will continue to hunt humanity even if no one remembers or think about them.
“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, and 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.”


http://bluestocker.com/global-arms-trade-africa-and-other-losers/#1