WORLD CONFLICTS
TODAY
TOPICS DISCUSSED
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THE NATURE OF CONFLICTS TODAY
ARMS SALES
THE DECLINE OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE GLOBAL POWER SHIFT
MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
DISASTER CAPITALISM
TERRORISM
CONFLICTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
REGION
NUMBER OF
COUNTRIES
IN REGION
CONFLICTS
(IN %)
COUNTRIES
WITH
CONFICT
(IN %)
PERCENT
OF WORLD
CONFLICTS
Africa
Asia
Europe
Americas
Middle
East
Totals
50
42
42
44
14
13
13
1
2
7
26
26
2
5
43
36
36
3
6
19
192
36
16
100
ANNUAL ARMS SHIPMENTS
EXPORTERS OF ARMS BILLIONS
/YEAR
IMPORTERS OF ARMS BILLIONS
/YEAR
UNITED STATES
$18
IRAQ & IRAN
$6
RUSSIA
$4.5
SAUDI ARABIA
$3
FRANCE
$4
INDIA
$3
CUBA
$2
VIETNAM
$2
CHINA
$2
ANGOLA
$2
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
$1
LIBYA
$2
POLAND
$1
EGYPT & SYRIA
$2
GERMANY
$1
AUSTRALIA &JAPAN
$1
WORLD’S LARGEST DEFENSE BUDGETS
Rank
1
Country
United States
a
2
China
3
Russia
4
a
United Kingdom
Spending
($ b.)
World Share
(%)
% of GDP,
2011
711.0
41.0
4.7
143.0
8.2
2.0
71.9
4.1
3.9
62.7
3.6
2.6
5
France
62.5
3.6
2.3
6
Japan
59.3
3.4
1.0
7
Saudi Arabia
48.5
2.8
8.7
8
India
46.8
2.7
2.5
9
Germany
46.7
2.7
1.3
10
Brazil
35.4
2.0
1.5
World Total
1735
100
2.5
a
b
GLOBAL ARMS SALES
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Global sales of arms and military services by the 100
largest defense contractors increased in 2010 to
$411.1 billion, according to the Stockholm International
Peace Research Institute.
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The increase reflects a decade-long trend of growing
military spending.
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Since 2002, total arms sales among the 100 largest
arms manufacturers have increased 60 percent.
What are some military costs?
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The most widely distributed weapon, the
AK 47 costs about $30… or in Kenya about
5 cows.
Keeping one American
service member in
Afghanistan costs between
$850,000 and $1.4 million
a year, depending on who
you ask. But one matter is
clear, that cost is going up.
K2 Black Panther tank costs over
8.5 million
The cost of F-18 is
US $54.7 million
TYPES OF CONFLICTS TODAY
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•
•
•
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LOW INTENSITY
LONG LASTING
HIGH CIVILIAN DEATH TOLLS
INTRA VS. INTER COUNTRY
RELIGIOUS BASED CONFLICTS
ETHNIC BASED CONFLICTS
ASYMMETRIC IN NATURE
INCREASINGLY RESOURCE BASED
A GLOBAL SHIFT IN
GEOPOLITICS
1. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 (fall of
Communism) and…
2. The subsequent victory of Capitalism as
the main global economic ideology
3. The rise of Capitalism’s dominant
manifestation in Globalization
CONSEQUENCES
The United States became the sole global super power.
Capitalism and freeing of world markets lead to the rise
of the multinational corporation and vastly increased
global trade.
The simultaneous acceptance of Capitalism as the
preferred economic platform by China and India, and
the out-sourcing of manufacturing and services by U.S.
multinationals shifted the balance of trade in favour of
Asia.
…New Competition Emerges
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Growth rates of 9% in China fuelled huge
economic reserves for military spending and the
need to acquire huge energy resources.
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Vast new middle classes emerged in these
countries and others with a ‘Western sized
appetite’ for consumer products and energy use.
GEOPOLITICAL SHIFT
….put in place a sequence of events that is
changing the Balance of World Power.
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If the United States (champion of
Capitalism and democracy) defeated the
Soviet Union (Communism and
totalitarianism), what lead to the decline?
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Shouldn’t the United States be better off?
Decline of the United States
Increase in U.S. debt…. Why?
Funding wars and privatization of the military
industrial complex without raising taxes or
decreasing social programs
….and some enormous trade deficits with
China and Canada.
Decline of the United States
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2. Political rifts in American two party
system means nothing gets done politically.
Partisanism (reluctant to acknowledge
correctness on the part of their political
opponents in almost any situation. and
political polarization) Political
Polarization
Decline of the United States
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3. Lack of spending on education and
research and innovation within the United
States has lead to a decline in competitive
edge with emerging economies.
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4. Lack of addressing of global climate
change means a dependence on oil and
the military spending to ensure supplies
Lets take a look at only
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1. Trade Deficit
2. The Privatization of the U.S. Military
3. The U.S. debt
as reasons for the decline…
TRADE DEFICIT
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President Regan (1980’s) lead the way to global
trade and free markets as the Soviet Union was
collapsing.
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President Bill Clinton (1990’s) furthered open
trade by advocated China joining the World Trade
Organization in the hopes of opening vast
Chinese markets for U.S. products.
IT BACKFIRED!
In 2011 the deficit
was $295 Billion
USD
Total U.S. debt is
15.6 Trillion USD
$1 560 000 000 000
China trade rose from only $2 billion in 1979
to an estimated $459 billion in 2010.
To put it in context:
The United States and Canada conduct the
world’s largest bilateral trade relationship, with
total merchandise trade (exports and imports)
exceeding $500 billion.
PRIVATIZATION /
CONTRACTORS
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The United States government has been
paying billions of tax payer money to
private corporations to do things that the
U.S. government used to do.
ie) health care, the military,
pharmaceuticals communications,
education, corrections, disaster relief,
surveillance, policing, homeland security
etc
…. FOR A PROFIT
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All the companies that perform this work
are known as contractors and perform the
work for a profit with little or no oversight
from the government…
Profit taking, corruption, and conflict of
interest between U.S. government officials
and the companies they work for has lead
to an erosion of democratic goals and the
rise of corporate profits.
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It has meant what is now being termed a
`hollow government``. In order to fulfill the
tasks a government is entrusted to do for
its citizens it must go to the corporate
sector for the know how, and expertise.
Many former government department jobs
are now outsourced to the private sector