The Terror War Will End, When We Quit Providing the Weapons

by James Glaser
July 19, 2006

Inter Press Service reports, "Israel has a total of over 378 F-16s, considered one of the world's most advanced fighter planes—besides 117 F-15s, 94 Skyhawks, 110 Phantoms—all supplied by the United States."

Israel is just one of the multitude of countries we sell arms to. In fact we sell more weapons to the world than the rest of the world combined. America makes a lot of money being the arms merchant for the world.

Of course it stands to reason, if there are no wars, we soon would be selling no weapons. Another war is starting up in the Middle East between Israel and the Arab countries, and that means more money for the USA. That could be one reason the headline in Haaretz, quoting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reads, "Rice: Cease-fire won't help."

The story doesn't say why stopping the killing of innocent civilians in Lebanon and Israel wouldn't help the peace process, but think of this, every time Israel uses up another weapon, future American arms sales look better and better.

Remember for years we supplied both Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and the Taliban in Afghanistan with weapons. We spent millions on the Contras, who were fighting an insurgent war in South America, and if a third world nation doesn't have the money to buy arms, we either loan them the money or out-and-out give them what they need. Those weapons will start trouble some time down the road, some where. The weapons we sell can be resold many times, and eventually they can make it to hands of the terrorists of this world.

We can't have it both ways. As long as we flood the world with weapons, terrorists the world over will get what they need to start trouble. We can say that we are trying to bring peace and democracy to the world, but the world can see what America makes its money with.

Two Quotes To Think About

"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime." Ernest Hemingway

"What difference does it make to the dead orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?" Gandhi




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