Middle East War Adds to Surge in International Arms Sales
New York TimesOct 17, 2023
Report: Global Arms Sales on the Rise
The Facts
A report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows weapons exports and imports rose significantly from 2019-23 compared to 2014-18. This included a 94% bump in European imports and a 17% increase in US exports.
Asia and Oceania had the most imports, but the region's share of global imports dropped from 41% to 37%. The Middle East took the next most with 30%, down from 33%; Europe purchased the third most with a 21% share, up from 11%. The Americas and Africa accounted for 5.7% and 4.3%.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While concerns over an increasingly militarized world are justified, the reason for military spending is that Western states are responding to unprovoked actions by Russia and potential threats from China. After US allies in Europe and Asia saw what happened to Ukraine two years ago, and Israel more recently, the rest of the free world has decided to get ahead of the curve and deter aggressors before it's too late.
Establishment-critical narrative
The never-ending series of conflicts around the world are either started by the US or made worse by the US to maintain both its arms trade and geopolitical dominance. The US economy is supported significantly by war and weapons, from engineering and tech research to factory workers and administrative employees. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, the US needs to continue this cycle of carnage to keep profits up.
Nerd narrative
There's a 24% chance that there will be a "World War Three" before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.