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Greece and Turkey. The remaining 7
percenr reach che poor nations of
Africa.
The Unired Srares has sold or
given away $57 billion in arms since
1945, by far the largesr amounr in che
world anns rrade. The Soviet Union,
however, is fase cacching America as a
merchant of death. Arms support to
Norch Vietnam and, until recently,
Egypr are repuredly in che billions of
dollars per year (macching rhe U. S.
sales of $2.83 billion per year planned
for 1972 and 1973).
The rwo orher major arms sales–
meo have also incrcased sales fascer
rhan rhe United Srares has in recenr
years. In 1970, France doubled ics for–
eign arms sales, as compared ro 1969.
France is che dassic case of profir–
morivared arms sales. She has sold
Mirage jers borh ro Israel and ro che
Arab scares.
Anocher European-based manufac–
curer sells arms to borh anragonisrs of
a war - any war - and then buys
back che arms from che vicror ar a
profir. Nice work, if one in such a
business can sleep nighrs.
French arms manufacture is "good
economics" - 280,000 jobs for
Frcnchmen, abouc 8 percenr of al!
French exporrs, and rhe grearesr slice
of che arms produccion business for
European securiry forces. France is che
unofficial arms maker and arms bco–
ker for al! of Europe, with che major–
iry of her arms production sraying ar
home.
Economics
is
also che major factor
in British arms sales. Berween 1967
and 1970 Bricain managed ro double
irs sales of war marerials ro a 1970
leve! estimared ar half a billion dollars
annually, an amounr egua] ro
28 per–
cent of the country's total exports.
Brit–
ain's principal arms cusromers rend ro
be Commonwealrh counrries and
stares in che Middle Easr, bur recenrly
she has sold bombees ro Peru, subma–
rínes co Brazil, and frigaces ro Chile.
In che pase rwo years, in facr, che
European and North American pow–
ers have sold abour $1 biJJíon worrh
of mil icary hardware to Latín Amer-
8
ica. England led che way wirh $500
million, while France's $150 million
came maínly from Aying 18 Mirage
jers ro Colombia, 16 ro Brazil, and
5
to Peru.
While chese Mirage jet sales have
made Mirage owner Monsieur Das–
sault che richesr man in France, rhey
have insured at leasr rhree more dirr–
poor councries of a supersonic acrack
air force. In
1955 ,
no underdeveloped
counrry had such planes, bur ac lacesr
counr, 29 counrries now have super–
sonic planes, and 18 have SAM (sur–
face-ro-air) missiles, chanks ro che
figuracive "four merchanrs" of che
Apocalypse.
Arms Sales
Backfire
Like many of che old vinrage guns
sold by rhe arms merchanrs, che enrire
concept of arms trade has "backfired,"
and will backfire more drasrically in
che furure, trends indicare.
For example, U. S. ann s have been
used ro overrhrow governmenrs in
Greece, Libya, and Brazil , and now
rhey are being used in che recent Irish
conflicr. U.S.S.R. arms sales have
recently backfired in Indonesia,
Egypt, and possibl y in Norrh Viet–
nam as well.
History indicares rhar arms sales
have a way of backfiring. Narions
have failed ro "buy allies" wirh guns.
Bur is there a practica] alcernarive
in a world of "mighc makes right"?
Is War Necessary?
Being anri-war is currently c¡uice
fashionable. An emocional plea ro
"end all war" brings universal cheers
clespite irs almost coral lack of an
alrecnarive answe r. Songs plead,
"Where Have AJI che Young Men
Gone?" Stickers proclaim, "Make
Love, Noc War" or "War is harmful
to children and orher living things.' '
Doves urge che
U.
S. co ' 'get out of
Vietnam."
Seemingly, al\ bur a few revolu–
tionary despors proclaim co be
anti–
war
-
yet wars consranrly erupr. On
che average, a major internacional hor
war surfaces every 4 ro 6 months.
And rhac has been che pace rhrough–
out man's recorcled hiscory. How can
so many apparendy sincere anri-war
people scarr so many apparencly
unwarranced wars?
Ir is nor sufficienr, rhen. simply ro
say thar war is stupid , ruinous, deadly,
immoral, or any orher heaced adjec–
rive. Thar's grist for shallow bumper
srickers or fifrh-grade essa)' S. These
observarions are agreed co by al! sen–
sible men. The c¡nesrion now facing
such "sensible men" should be, "Is
wac
necessary?"
"Is war inevitable)"
Considering only che human
polirical sphere, narions feel rhey
must
go ro war ro
defend
rhemselves from
unwarranted aggression. Was Amer–
ica co "curo
che
orher cheek" afcer
Pearl Harbor? W as Brirain ro lie
clown ancl be rrampled uncler Hirler's
boor? And , Germans mighr also ask,
was Weimar Germany to lie clown
meekly whíle foreígners srranglecl
her chance for survival afcer
1918)
In che rescricred human poliricaJ
sphere, che sad answer is rhar if there
is no Gocl in whom a nation can
rrusc, rhen
war is inevitabLe,
as a final
means of self-defense. Man has nor
devisecl che first clue, humanly speak–
ing, coward achieving peace through
his own ínherent human reason. In
che carnal sphere of acrion, we muse
conclude that man will conrinue ro
war wirh his fellow man unril che
final nuclear holocausr clesrroys
human society as we know ir.
In chis human sphere, rhen, ir is
clear that ' 'che way of peace rhey
knQW
not"
( Isaiah 59:8). Therefore, if you
are only willing ro examine rbe
human sphere. you can srarr counring
che days unril Armageddon.
Forrunacel y , rhere
is
ano rher
dimension ro che c¡uesríon. In fact,
chis exrra climension is rhe only hope
Jefe for world survivaJ.
lf you wanr ro know how chis war–
torn world will yer be lilled with
peace and plenry, send for your free
copy of
The Wonderfid Wor/d Tomor–
rozv
-
What lt
lJ7itt
Be
Like.
D
PlAIN TRUTH November 1972