Basic HTML Version
1
Sample
Usting of Countries and
Comparativa Expenditures
GNP
(Millions)
14,503
65,576
15,685
13,261
6,349
857,000
2,500
493,260
1,696,11
222,064
191, 159
446,188
75,823
1,726
Saudi Arabia
41 ,157
Afghanistan
2,673
India
86, 139
Pakistan
13,324
China
307,010
S. Africa
3 1,888
Military
(Millions)
5,750
7,966
1,695
4,028
934
114
5,097
91 ,013
11,074
3,639
15,452
2,918
154
7,641
68
2,923
783
19,500
1,795
• More than 10% of GNP spent for military purposes
D
Countries whose health and education expenditures
(in dollars) outweigh military spending
abate. Practically all wars
since World War 11 have
involved Third World
countries. These are the
nalions, perhaps for
reasons of both security
and pride. who have the
greatest need-for
conventional weapons.
Thus, the arms trade
remains costliest to !hose
who can least afford
it.
The world spends
roughly
60
times as much
equipping each soldier
today as it does educating
each child. Often !he cost
of arms to poorer countries
lar exceeds what they
receive in civilian foreign
aid from the selling
countries.
lnterestingly, !he
countries since World War
11 that have spent relatively
smaller amounts on the
military (Japan and West
Germany are the two
readiest examples) are the
countries lhat enjoy the
most economic growth.
Globally, !he world has
gotten itself in an absolute
bind. The need for security,
and a recognition that !he
other fellow's human nature
may lead him to desire
your territory, demand
heavy arms oullays-even
by small countries. As
~
Senegal's Presiden!
~
Leopold Senghor states,
~
' 'The need for security is a
J
major point of national
~
awareness in all African
¡
states." In all human
Data iabaaed
on 1976
figurea, the lateat available.
~
Source:
World Social snd Militsry ExpBnditurBs, 1979,
Ruth Leger Sívard
~
states, in reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~e
WorldTomorrow,
Worldwide, the support of nat ional military torces costs $92 a year per person; support of the
which we announce in the
United Nations and all its programs in food, health, labor, etc., 57c ayear; international peace·
keeping operat ions, se a year.
pages of this magazine,
get off. France and Britain
must export arms just to
keep their own defense
establishments in business,
a pattern lhat also applies
to countries such as Israel
and Brazil. In West
Germany, sorne
200,000
workers are dependen! on
the arms industry for their
32
jobs. Israelí arms exports
conlribute a great deal to
the country's earnings,
without which its
inftation-ridden economy
might go under. Likewise,
!he Soviet Union's foreign
sales bring in about an
eighth of that country's
hard-currency income.
Obviously, as long as one
arms exporter is willing to
meet the demand, hopes
for any slowing of the flow
of the world arms are dim.
Moreover, there is no
hope in sight-at leas! in
this world-that the
unquenchable thirst for
arms in the Third World will
security will not be a
concern of nations. Jesus,
the Messiah, governing
from Jerusalem, will
guarantee !he peace, by
supernatural means.
Today's costly trade in
arms will be totally
banished. " Neither shall
they learn war any more"
(lsa.
2:4).
o
Th8
PLAIN TRUTH