Source: Common Dreams
Since the end of World War Two, the United States has been the most technologically advanced and dominant fighting force on the planet. The U.S. has led the world in developments ranging from missile technology to aircraft development. As a result of being on the leading edge of the arms industry, the demand for American made weapons is extremely high. This high demand for a desirable product has prompted Congress and Presidents alike to capitalize on the lucrative aspect of the arms industry. Selling weapons has become a favorite past time of the United States for both political and non-political reasons since the end of the second world war. In fact, the United States sold weapons to 98 countries from 2013 to 2017 which accounted for 34% of all global arms sales during the same period of time. This practice has traditionally been accepted as a method to support allies and to aid in funding expensive military projects such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Jet which is subsidized by nations including, but not limited to Israel, Australia, Canada, and South Korea. However, the practice has more recently been scrutinized following the largest arms deal in American history to Saudi Arabia in 2017. While the arms deal itself was potentially non-problematic, the use of American weapons in wars abroad has created controversy.
On August 9th 2018, an American made Mk 82 500-pound laser guided bomb deployed by the Saudi Arabian-led coalition destroyed a Yemeni school bus and left dozens of children dead. In many other cases throughout the Yemeni civil war this very same bomb has been used in horrific bombings of civilians. In October 2016, 155 people died in a bombing at a funeral hall and in March of 2016 another bomb killed 96 people. These horrifying attacks on innocent civilians prompted the Obama Administration to ban further sales of these bombs to other nations, but the practice was resumed with the 2017 arms deal. With the continued frequency of American weapons being used in attacks unsupported by the United States, the morality of the arms industry has been put into serious question.
Shrapnel from the Mk 82 bomb used against civilians in Yemen by Saudi Arabia. Source: CNN
In light of the recent bombings, the debate over the selling of these weapons has become further inflamed within the United States. While the Pentagon and Congress support the selling of the weapons, oversight into their use is now being applied more stringently. However, many have continued to ask whether American weapons should be used in wars that are not ours. Proponents of continued use claim that they are a method of supporting allies, but more importantly they support a key part of the United States economy. Those who argue that the selling of weapons is important for the U.S. economy cite the “Military-Industrial Complex.” Meanwhile many countering this argument continue to use events such as those occurring in Yemen as proof of the need to reign in or completely abolish arms trades to other countries. Additionally, opponents of military arms deals often use history to point out the failures of arms deals in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both the Taliban and ISIS have routinely used American made weapons against America and its allies. While this was never done on purpose the weapons and funding given to the Mujahideen rebels (The precursor of the Taliban) against the Soviet Union has seen American made weapons unintentionally fall into the nations own enemies’ hands. Likewise, weapons given to Iraq have also ended up in the hands of ISIS. Still, the weapons given to American allies have proven to be the counterpoint of this argument. While many argue U.S. weapons can easily fall into the wrong hands and or be misused, others point to the success of Israel and South Korea repelling their enemies as a counter-argument. In Israel, the United States has helped provide for Israeli defense through many wars in order to ensure the sovereignty of the key middle-eastern Ally. Similarly, South Korea has utilized American weapons to act as deterrence against its hostile neighbor North Korea. Through this, South Korea has built a formidable military and has kept its border secure. For American this means it has also ensured another stable ally in the region. Finally, the United States is also engaged in an arms deal war with Russia and China. Whether this is morally acceptable or not, strategically, the United States continues to attempt to exert influence by selling weapons in competition with Russia and China. Though the practice is questionable considering the reward is purely political, it nonetheless is still occurring on a growing scale.
While there are many success stories and failures of the American arms trade, the debate over their morality will likely continue as the sales of American arms are only increasing. Global arms sales have risen 10% in the past decade and this trend is likely to continue. Thus, this debate is also on track to continue into the future as both proponents and opponents of global arms deals continually use current events to bolster their cases.