New world records in arms race
Congratulations! The military expenditures in 2006 was $1204 billion, a 3,5 percent increase since 2005. An average per capita spending of $177!
In June for the last 41 years the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) releases annual compendium of data on world armament. Details of military spending during previous year and many expert studies on world armament are brought together in a comprehensive report. Well, congratulations! The military expenditures in 2006 was $1204 billion, a 3,5 percent increase since 2005. An average per capita spending of $177!Turkey as usual holds an excellent position. Though it is not in the first 15 in the overall list of highest military spending, it is ranked 14th with respect to purchasing power parity (ppp) following the U.S., China, India, Russia, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, South Korea, Iran and Italy. By this standard Turkey’s military expenditure was $20,2 billion in 2006 compared to $17,8 billion in 2005. One gets the shivers when this year’s report lays again the course of events before eyes. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, SIPRI published an anniversary book in 2006 and a free download provides recollections and reflections of the past 40 years. This year’s report confirms the pattern of a crazy arms race that conquered the whole world. Every country, poor or rich, following the U.S. gets into the race that was never experienced before, even during the Cold War period. In 2006, military expenditures increased 3,5 percent compared to 2005. Overall increase of the last decade stands at 37 percent.China’s military spending reached an estimated $49.5 billion making it the biggest military spender in Asia and the fourth biggest in the world in 2006. Japan with $43,7 billion was second in Asia and India was third ranked with $23.9 billion. The U.S., as for years, was the champion of both suppliers and spenders. With $528,7 billion military spending the U.S. accounted for almost half of the world total. Almost 50 percent of these conventional weapons were exported in 2006, the U.S. and Russia being the largest suppliers.
New features of the deadly race
Today the ‘peace dividend’ term frequently used at the end of the Cold War is completely reversed. The hypothesis that after the Cold War peril was averted, armament would slow down and spending for military purposes would be reallocated to peacetime purposes is no longer valid. In fact, since there is no more danger of mass destruction as in the Cold War era, endeavors to limit the armament fell off the agenda. No country cares about the other’s weapon production, supply or use, in consequence regional wars and the damage caused by weapons continue at full speed.Crystallized in 2005, the specific features of the increase in armament were reconfirmed in 2006. The main reason is the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the other side, high oil and raw material prices have also their share in the increase. Algeria, Azerbaijan, Russia and Saudi Arabia spent what they earned from crude oil for weapons. Likewise, Peru and Chile used advantage of rising copper and other metal prices and got armed. China and India increase expenditure on weapons proportional to their rapidly growing economies.Structurally, the world weapon industry undergoes a fundamental change. Two basic trends stand out here. IT industry in particular is predominantly working with the weapon industry. The second trend is privatization. Security, supply and logistic service contracts of militaries are increasingly awarded to private sector companies.
Armament expenditure and development aid
In 2005, members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assitance Committee (DAC) had accounted for a considerable rise of 31,4 percent in financial assistance provided for developing nations. In 2006, the $100 billion-mark in Official Development Assistance (ODA) is confirmed with a slight decrease compared to 2005. Thus the ODA, which was around $50-60 billion for years, has doubled. However, this figure is just one tenth of expenditures on weaponary. Besides, a closer look to the details of the increase in ODA reveals an act of deceit. In fact, the highest increase is observed in the U.S.’ share and that went to Iraq. Meaning, while Iraq is destroyed on the one hand, on the other rich countries extend humanitarian assistance and aid to this country. Afghanistan is the other luck party receiving the U.S. development aid! America supports substitute crops to opium in Afghanistan. The third big item of ODA is the debt relief of poor countries and Iraq. Furthermore the financial source of all this generosity must not have been solely the American taxpayer. There are many rumors about portions of Iraq’s oil revenue being redirected under the label of ‘assistance’ and ‘expertise’ to the occupying powers’ budgets.
Weapons possessed by civiliansMilitary course is just one side of the issue. Another dimension is always forgotten: Light weapons owned by civilians and the damage they cause. According to data released by the Turkish Umut (Hope) Foundation, a stock of 640 million light weapons in the world is possessed by farmers, shooting sportmen, gangs, guerillas, private securities and civilians of any age. In an environment of undeclared war, about 300,000 people in the world either get killed or commit suicide every year. This is on average twice more casualties than during wartime.