Countries with the biggest military expenditures in 2013

                                in billion US dollars   change (2004-2013 period)   as percentage of GNP

 1. USA                        640                                 +   12.0                                    3.8
 2. China                       188                                 + 170.0                                    2.0
 3. Russia                        87.8                              + 108.0                                    4.1
4. Saudi Arabia               67                                 + 118.0                                    9.3
5. France                        61.2                              –     6.4                                     2.2
6. United Kingdom          57.9                              –     2.5                                     2.3
7. Germany                     48.8                              +     3.8                                     1.4
8. Japan                          48.6                              –     0.2                                     1.0
9. India                           47.4                              +   45.0                                     2.5
10. ROK                        33.9                              +   42.0                                     2.8
11. Italy                         32.7                             –    26.0                                     1.6
12. Brazil                        31.5                             +    48.0                                     1.4
13. Australia                   24.0                             +    19.0                                     1.6
14. Turkey                      19.1                             +    13.0                                     2.3
15. UAEmirates              19.0                             +    85.0                                     4.7

Source: Suddeutsche Zeitung, no. 91,  April 19/20/21, 2014, p.7
 

In 2013, compared with 2012, the biggest increase in arms expenditures  occurred in Northern Africa, closely followed by sub-Saharan Africa. 

Next in line were S.E. Asia, EASTERN EUROPE, and East Asia as well as the Middle East.

A comparable  weak increase was noted in Latin America as well as Central Asia and South Asia.

Due to the economic crisis, cut-backs occurred in North America, Western and Central Europe, and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand).

Worldwide arms expenditures were shrinking slightly in 1988, 1989, and 1990.They were sharply reduced in 1991.

They were reduced steadily in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, rose very slightly in 1997, and shrank slightly to the 1996  level in 1998.

They rose again considerably since 1999, and this until 2009, a year with a particularly hefty increase which resulted in a level of arms spending higher than that of  1988. They levelled off in 2010-2012 and dropped slightly in 2013 but were still on a pre-1989 level.

[This is an interpretation of figure 1 (“Weltweit”) and figure 2 (“Entwicklung”) in Suddeutsche Zeitung]

- Tom Hardy
 


 
 
 
 
 

                       Go to Art in Society # 14, Contents
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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MOVE THE MONEY OUT OF THE MILITARY

Move the money out of the military

Set aside for a moment whether the U.S. government has too much or too little money. It's spending the money it has destructively.
Fifty-seven percent of discretionary spending going into the military is too much. Tell Congress and the president to move the money:

U.S. military spending -- across several government departments -- is wildly out of control, amounting to roughly half of federal discretionary spending and half of global military spending. The sequester agreement makes a small reduction in military spending. 

We urge you to keep military spending to the sequester level or lower without allowing extra funds to be hidden in war budgets or anywhere else, to plan for further reductions, to create a commission to oversee the retraining and retooling required for a smooth transition from war industries to peaceful industries, and to invest the additional savings in human and environmental needs at home and abroad.
 
 
 
 
 

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