What would Jesus do?

.

The U.S. economic recovery – based on what amounts to a trade in death,

.

Full Story

.

Aside from the morality of selling weapons of destruction to other nations,  is the seemingly crazy notion of providing more arms to the planet’s “tinder box” – the Middle East.  Just what the world needs; more destructive fire power in one of the most unstable regions of the world.

With several of these nations at war with their own people, one has to wonder if the governments of arms-exporting nations are not, themselves, a little bit crazy. (Or a helluva lot crazy.)

The major arms exporters,

.

Source

.

Who in turn sell to the biggest clients,

.

Source

.

So many of the weapons from the West end up being used against ordinary  citizens,  by repressive regimes in the growing Arab Spring,

.

Source

.

The tear-gas cannister above contains first-aid instructions. How very “civilised“.

I cannot convey to you the disgust I feel, knowing that our allies in America and Britain are selling deadly weapons to repressive regimes, who in turn,  feel no qualms at turning them against their own people,

“Global spending on arms in 2010 were an estimated 1.6 trillion dollars, with governments in the Middle East dishing out more than 111 billion for weapons – raising questions as to whether Western arms suppliers circumvented international treaties by exporting to repressive regimes.

Last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt accounted for over 75 percent of U.S. arms sales – with Saudi Arabia ordering more than 60 billion dollars in weaponry, making it the leading buyer.” – Ibid

At the same time, poverty continues to blight our entire Human civilisation – including what should be the richest, most prosperous nation on Earth.

This is a trillion-dollar business.  Those involved are politicians; arms manufacturers; military leaders; arms exporters; and the good people of America, Britain, France, Germany, etc, who permit it to happen.

.

.

I’m under no illusion that there would also be a number of New Zealanders who would gladly support a domestic arms-industry, if it meant turning a profit. For some people, money is more important than anything else – including lives.

Perhaps the great irony, though, is that the USA is supposedly a Christian nation. They pride themselves on their “special relationship” with their god.

They swear allegiance to their Constitution, invoking their god,

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

It’s  on their currency,

“In God We Trust“

And it is part of their patriotic fervour,

.

.

Yet, in 2010  the United States exported US$8.6 Billion worth of deadly weapons to various clients around the world. Much of this firepower is often levelled against innocent people.

And just as obscene – $8.6 billion could have been used to alleviate drought, famine, and poverty in many parts of the world. How many lives could have been saved and made better with $8.6 billion?

Which leads me to the obvious question that begs to be asked,

“What would Jesus do? “

Because this is an apparent contradiction that I fail to understand…

.

***

.

Additional

World’s Largest Weapons Exporters

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Export Controls

.

.

About these ads