Austerity is the cry
from governments across the world, but that only applies to the
social side of society. Every budget gets trimmed, benefits get cut,
wages get frozen, social services get decimated and their costs go
up. However this all looks ridiculous when it comes the that side of
the state apparatus called “military”. The case of the
super-duper, F-35 “do-everything” fighter, makes you scratch your
head and wonder, why do we tolerate such idiots running our affairs.
This power monger's toy is estimated to cost the US almost $400
billion and rising. It was to be operational in 2012 but is now
thought to be 2015/18, what a wonderful money spinner for the arms
industry, no austerity there. It will be available to their NATO
buddies and some other “friendly” nations, who will chip-in to
the development fund, some of their taxpayers money for the privilege of
being able to buy a few of these toys. Once you buy this money eater,
you are lumbered with astronomical costs just to keep the thing
running. Norwegian Rear Admiral Arne Roksund estimated the his
country's 52, F-35's, will cost $769 million EACH, over their
operational lifetime. When the state apparatus talks to us about
“austerity”, they are really just laughing at us, and taking us
for a bunch of idiots. And we are if we tolerate this unbelievable
waste of time, energy and resources to be spent on the toys of
empire, while millions live in poverty, millions starve and others
die from preventable diseases. What will the people of the world gain
from this multi-billion dollar state status symbol?
Showing posts with label arms industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arms industry. Show all posts
Friday 27 September 2013
Austerity My Arse.
Wednesday 17 July 2013
Blood Money.
The UK state, like all states, works not so much with double standards but with multiple standards. As the UK state sits on its throne built by past colonialism and brutal exploitation and corruption, it passes judgment on other states criticising their human rights record and their civil rights abuses. While at the same time selling them weapons with which to repress the local population. According to The Independent, the UK state has issued more than 3,000 export licences for intelligence and military equipment to countries which it has put on its official list of, guilty of human rights abuses.
Of course this shouldn't surprise us as the present system has nothing to do with human rights or civil rights, it's all about capitalism. Profit for the corporations overrides all other human concerns. In our greed driven thirst for profit we deliberately turned Libya into a land of warlords, factions and militia, but still manage to sell them more than £54 million worth of military equipment. Our "Honourable Gentlemen" in those Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, are always banging on about those evil countries of Zimbabwe and Iran, but we still managed to sell the former £3 million worth of military equipment, while selling Iran a whopping £803+ million of military equipment, which if our lords and masters have their way will be used against UK troops when we decide to attack that country for its oil and gas.
Then there is that bastion of democracy and equal rights for women, Saudi Arabia, our UK purveyors of death managed to sell them a staggering £1,863+ million of weapons and equipment. If we turn our eyes to that land of genocide and apartheid, Israel, well you need a lot of military muscle to maintain such a brutal system, so we were able to sell them an eye watering £7,879+ million of military equipment, which the Zionists and settlers, (stealers of Palestinian land) will be truly grateful.
Weapons may seem alright in self defence, but only an insane system of greed would make money from arming yourselves and then selling arms to those you are supposed to be arming yourself against. That's the crazy, greedy, brutal and destructive system that we tolerate today.
The state is the enemy, the state creates wars, the state needs the arms industry. We the people don't need the state, we don't want wars, we don't need the arms industry. We can create a world of co-operation, mutual aid, and sustainability, free from the corrupting influence of power and profit.
Friday 1 February 2013
SCRAP TRIDENT.
As you all know, those millionaires in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption keep mouthing off about austerity, (for you and me, not them), this message from Faslane Peace Camp once again highlights there blatant bloody warmongering and two-faced hypocrisy. As quick as a wink, or a nod and a nudge-nudge and they can pour £160 billion to the pockets of their mates in the arms industry. Ah, that's capitalism for you.
Faslane Peace Camp 31 January 15:14 The MoD (Ministry of Disregard-for-the-basic-principles-of-democracy) strikes again... they really are a law onto their own.
"The Ministry of Defence has revealed how it intends to spend £160bn over the next decade on new weapons systems, including a fleet of Trident nuclear missile submarines, two large aircraft carriers, helicopters, armoured vehicles, and unmanned drones.
The MoD says the money has been signed off by the chancellor, George Osborne, even though parliament will not vote until after the general election on whether to give the go-ahead to a new Trident fleet which, it is estimated, would consume at least a third of the MoD's equipment budget after 2020."
FULL ARTICLE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/jan/31/trident-uk-military-shopping-list
ann arky's home.
Saturday 1 December 2012
WE ASSIST IN BOMBING GAZA.
On 14 November 2012, the Israeli
army began attacking Gaza with drones, Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter
jets and naval vessels. For 8 days, civilian areas of Gaza were
bombarded by Israel from air and sea with over 150 men, women and
children losing their lives.
Tell
the British government to stop funding Israel's brutal attacks on
innocent people.
This attack was only made possible through the continued financial, military and diplomatic support Israel receives from Western states - including the British government. Take action to help end this suffering for good.
By selling arms to Israel, the British government is giving direct material support for Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people and sending a clear message of approval for its actions.
Call on Foreign Secretary William Hague to introduce an immediate arms embargo on Israel until it ends its violations of international law.
This attack was only made possible through the continued financial, military and diplomatic support Israel receives from Western states - including the British government. Take action to help end this suffering for good.
By selling arms to Israel, the British government is giving direct material support for Israel's aggression against the Palestinian people and sending a clear message of approval for its actions.
Call on Foreign Secretary William Hague to introduce an immediate arms embargo on Israel until it ends its violations of international law.
Thanks you for taking action.
ann arky's home. |
Thursday 10 May 2012
A RIGHT ROYAL SALES TEAM.
The British Royal
family is sold to the British public as some sort of benign
institution with a spin off that it helps our GDP by bringing
tourists to this country. A friendly, if somewhat bumbling family,
that brings a bit of colour and splendour into our lives. However we
all know that it is far from benign, it is the foundation of the
power structure that is the establishment, the bedrock of our class
system. What we should also be aware of is that it is also the arms
industry's best sales team. Flying princes around the world opens
doors to the heads of state for our ever hungry arms manufacturers,
allowing billion pound deals to be done. This is also a sales team that is
paid for by the British public and not by the arms industry.
Extract from Scottish LEFT Review:
ann arky's home.With a tightening of military budgets in the UK and much of the western world, the arms industry aggressively mines old and new export markets. The largest and fastest growing are in Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. It is for this latter region that Prince Andrew, with his royal connections and military background, best fits the UKTI DSO agenda. His personal presence opens the doors of the kings, princes, emirs and sheikhs of the Gulf kingdoms to the arms company executives who negotiate the export deals.A Buckingham Palace spokesman was quoted in the Guardian (9/3/12): “Middle East potentates like meeting princes. He comes in as the son of the Queen and that opens doors that otherwise would remain closed. He can raise problems with a crown prince and four or five weeks later we discover that the difficulties have been overcome and the contract can be signed. He brings immeasurable value in smoothing the path for British companies. We don’t send him to developed countries like France and Sweden, where a member of the royal family would not make a difference, but in developing countries, or the far east, a prince can get in because of who he is.”But it is not just royals but quasi-royals such as dictators and their family members where Andrew’s presence works wonders. He supposedly had a close friendship with Saif Gaddafi, son of Colonial Gaddafi, and hosted a lunch at Buckingham Palace for Sakher el Materi, son-in-law of Tunisian dictator, Ben Ali, despite being warned of his corrupt activities by the British Embassy in Tunis. Both dynasties have now fallen.---
Tuesday 13 December 2011
BEHEADING, CORRUPTION AND THE UK'S BLIND EYE.
The arms
industry is a true capitalist enterprise, devoid of any morals. Since
1960 the regime of Saudi Arabia have been a major purchaser of UK
made arms. This is not just a series of corporate manufacturers
selling to the highest bidder, the hand of the UK state is involved
in most of these deals as they are government to government
contracts. Governments are expert at putting nice names to despicable
affairs, recently BAE arms manufacturer sold 72 Euro fighters to
Saudi Arabia, at a cost of £4.4 billion, the project was named The
Salam (Peace) Project. UK corporate business with the help and
blessing of the UK government, makes billions supplying all manner of
weapons to what is probably one of the most repressive regimes on the
planet. This regime of Royal despots rule over a country that as
well as brutal repression, is in the eyes of most observers is rife
with corruption on a massive scale. The Guardian has ran numerous
reports of allegations of corruption at the highest level.. In 2004,
following revelations about a £60 million "slush fund",
the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) began an investigation. There were
further allegations in June 2007 that BAE, with approval of the UK’s
Ministry of Defence, had made payments worth hundreds of millions of
pounds since 1985 to bank accounts under the personal control of
Prince Bandar, the son of Prince Sultan. On 14th December 2006 the
SFO announced that it was stopping its investigation. CAAT and The
Corner House challenged the decision in the courts. In April 2008 the
High Court ruled that the SFO had acted unlawfully in curtailing the
inquiry, but this ruling was overturned by the House of Lords on 30th
July 2008. More information about the case and documents which were
released during it can be viewed here.
The whole thing stinks.
Saudi Arabia
is also a country that beheads people, for among other things, the
crime of sorcery. The latest case of this was a 60 year old woman who
was headed for the crime of sorcery, and recently a man was beheaded
for the same crime, it seems he told fortunes. This year alone the
Saudis have executed 79 people, 5 of them women, compared to 27 for
the whole of last year. It is obvious that they are stepping up the
repression with one eye on the “Arab Spring”. It is criminal, but
to be expected, that the UK state considers Saudi Arabia to among its
“friendly” allies.
Sunday 2 October 2011
WAR = PROFITS.
Ten years of death and destruction in Afghanistan and still it goes on. Hundreds of UK troops killed and thousands injured, plus billions of pounds spent on maintaining this inhumane, pointless slaughter. Where does all that money go? It pours into the arms industry who are delighted to see tons of munitions being exploded, creating a need to have them replaced, at the same time allowing the other psychopaths in power across the globe an opportunity to see these destructive weapons in use. A war is like a trade show to the arms industry and it doesn't cost them a penny.
There are urgent and pressing needs across the globe, they are not being seen to, the usual excuse is lack of resources. How much of the capitalist world's resources are spent on destruction and killing, what impact would there be if all those resources were directed at people's needs? Of course for that to happen we need to get rid of the capitalist system itself. As long as we have the present system of corporate capitalism and national governments, we will have wars and destruction, suffering and deprivation, as the parasites engineer everything to their own benefit.
The Antiwar Mass Assembly in Trafalgar Square on 8 October is going to be one of Stop the War's most important events. Thousands of people have pledged to be there (see http://bit.ly/pBlNMI), transport is being organised around the country (see http://bit.ly/oM17x9), the timetable for the event
has just been published, with a very impressive list of speakers, musicians, artists and performers (see http://bit.ly/poSQPd).
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