The New York Times is reporting this morning that the U.S. has signed a contract, worth almost $30 Billion, to deliver 84 new and upgrades for 70 old fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. Evidently this deal was hard fought in a Congress that is worried that the military equipment, which is destined to deter Iranian ambitions, could actually be used on Israel. Saudi Arabia is touting the deal as proof that their relationship with the U.S. is strong, despite disagreements over the Arab Spring.
To put this deal into perspective, in September of this year the New York Times reported that the worldwide arms trade totaled slightly more than $40 Billion in 2010, down from about $60 Billion in previous years. Almost 1/5 of all arms sales originate in the U.S.
Some analysts see the Saudi deal as a message to the Iranians about their threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a noted “chokepoint” for the transport of global oil. About 20 percent of the world’s oil floats through the Strait of Hormuz—about 16 million barrels each day. The U.S. also regularly demonstrates its muscle in the region by floating warships through the Strait.
I think I’m becoming an isolationist, and might even be out working for Ron Paul If I lived in Iowa. He’s as loony as they come, but at least he sees the folly of continuing to raid the U.S. Treasury to defend oil company investments. Romney recently said that Paul was in the Dennis Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party. He is. Kucinich, who once proposed a Department of Peace to replace the Defense Department, and Paul frequently vote together against increases in military spending.
It may be time for Kucinich’s Department of Peace. It should have two missions: fund an all out effort to wean the U.S. from fossil fuels and buy back all the U.S. war machines that have been sold worldwide. It is folly to continue to sell war machines and not expect them to be used by the dictators to which they are sold. It is equally irresponsible to continue to spoon feed cash to those madmen through ever increasing oil purchases. That cash is more often used to wage war than it is to satisfy the needs of the citizens living under the thumb of dictatorships.
Homework
New York Times Story About $30 Billion Arms Deal
Chokepoints
Global Arms Sales
Americans for Department of Peace
To put this deal into perspective, in September of this year the New York Times reported that the worldwide arms trade totaled slightly more than $40 Billion in 2010, down from about $60 Billion in previous years. Almost 1/5 of all arms sales originate in the U.S.
Some analysts see the Saudi deal as a message to the Iranians about their threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a noted “chokepoint” for the transport of global oil. About 20 percent of the world’s oil floats through the Strait of Hormuz—about 16 million barrels each day. The U.S. also regularly demonstrates its muscle in the region by floating warships through the Strait.
I think I’m becoming an isolationist, and might even be out working for Ron Paul If I lived in Iowa. He’s as loony as they come, but at least he sees the folly of continuing to raid the U.S. Treasury to defend oil company investments. Romney recently said that Paul was in the Dennis Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party. He is. Kucinich, who once proposed a Department of Peace to replace the Defense Department, and Paul frequently vote together against increases in military spending.
It may be time for Kucinich’s Department of Peace. It should have two missions: fund an all out effort to wean the U.S. from fossil fuels and buy back all the U.S. war machines that have been sold worldwide. It is folly to continue to sell war machines and not expect them to be used by the dictators to which they are sold. It is equally irresponsible to continue to spoon feed cash to those madmen through ever increasing oil purchases. That cash is more often used to wage war than it is to satisfy the needs of the citizens living under the thumb of dictatorships.
Homework
New York Times Story About $30 Billion Arms Deal
Chokepoints
Global Arms Sales
Americans for Department of Peace
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