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Change You Can Believe in Comes to the Arms Market
by PIERRE SPREY
To put in perspective the extra $42 billion in export arms contracts handed to the defense industry is twice the much-ballyhooed sequester “doomsday” cuts that the industry might–but probably won’t–suffer in 2013. (The 2013 defense budget sequester is $52 billion; roughly 40% of this or $21 billion would be the Congressionally-mandated sequester cut in the acquisition accounts, that is, the accounts which fund the industry’s contracts.) So, without even counting 2012′s arms sales sweeteners for the arms manufacturers, the industry is already $21 billion ahead in sales, even after the doomsday cuts.
Pierre Sprey was a principal member of the aircraft design team that created the F-16 and A-10 jet-fighter bombers.
(Posting Note: Sprey made this an administration-led story, Bush - Obama - etc., which has been edited out as immaterial. Those in needs of guns will find guns. That's a given.)
by PIERRE SPREY
The dry dollar numbers in the latest Congressional Research Service annual arms sales report ... every major arms exporting country has reduced its sales to developing countries–except for the U.S., which has sextupled its sales.
from 2004 to 2006, we were signing about $6 to $9 billion dollars (in constant 2011 $) worth of arms contracts per year in the Third World. An extra $3 billion in approved sales in 2007–and then a $17 billion add-on in approved arms exports for 2008.
for 2011 a whopping $42 billion extra of arms sales.
To put in perspective the extra $42 billion in export arms contracts handed to the defense industry is twice the much-ballyhooed sequester “doomsday” cuts that the industry might–but probably won’t–suffer in 2013. (The 2013 defense budget sequester is $52 billion; roughly 40% of this or $21 billion would be the Congressionally-mandated sequester cut in the acquisition accounts, that is, the accounts which fund the industry’s contracts.) So, without even counting 2012′s arms sales sweeteners for the arms manufacturers, the industry is already $21 billion ahead in sales, even after the doomsday cuts.
(Posting Note: Sprey made this an administration-led story, Bush - Obama - etc., which has been edited out as immaterial. Those in needs of guns will find guns. That's a given.)