There are few things as infuriating as the annual report by one of my favorite research organizations.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute released on March 19 its yearly global arms report,
with data showing that arms transfers for the past four years have increased by a quarter over the 2002-2006 period.
“Sales of arms and military services by the largest arms-producing companies—the SIPRI Top 100
—continued to increase in 2010 to reach $411.1 billion,” says the report.
U.S.-based weapons manufacturers occupy pride of place.
“Sales by the forty-four U.S.-based companies
accounted for over 60 percent of all arms sales
by the Top 100 arms-producing companies in 2010,”
the analysis says.
Should we be proud that the United States still makes something
or should we be embarrassed that one of the few things it knows how to manufacture is so destructive?
The report also points out how consolidated this industry is.
.