Guns Versus Growth: The Trade-off Between Military Spending and Economic Development By Annette Hollowell

“World leaders must stop viewing militaristic investment as a measure of national wellbeing. And they must embrace multilateral efforts that recognize the complete and politicized nature of contemporary security questions. By maintaining a massive military-industrial complex, the U.S. sends the wrong signal to other countries whose national budgets desperately need to be directed toward human needs…” --Ocsar Arias, the 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate and former President of Costa Rica

Military Spending and Economic Development  Military spending has increased most where the people are poorest, the Global South.  This preparation for war through a high military burden comes at a cost, because many economists conclude  that when states spend high sums for weapons they have less money available to spend on human security.  Hence the Guns vs. Growth Issue

 “Since the dawn of the nuclear age, the government (United States) has spent more than $5.5 trillion on nuclear forces, more than on education, the environment and transportation combined….”  ---Stansfield Turner, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency

The Cold War  Japan of the 1950s was relatively freed of the burden of funding militarization, and was able to greatly expand its economy.  This position was opposite of the former Soviet Union and the United States.

The Great Powers’ National Security Strategies Russia, China, and Japan

Putin’s “Concept of National Security”  In light of its decline, Russia has had to refocus its national security strategies to its grim realities.  Fundamental military reforms  More adept fighting forces to manage civil rebellions  Continuing to dismantle nuclear arsenal with U.S. assistance  Repealing the no first use pledge

China’s Security Posture  Lobby to see that the traditional international legal rule prohibiting external interference in sovereign state’s domestic affairs is respected  Expand sphere of influence in the Pacific Rim to gain the respect of its Asian neighbors  To recover its lost suzerainty  Pursue membership in the WTO (which it achieved in December 2001  Establish normalized diplomatic relations with the U.S.

Japan’s Search for a Strategy  As an economic superpower Japan has advocated the Yoshida Doctrine  PM Miyazawa’s Peacekeeping Operations Bill  Acceptance of large increase in its previous UN dues  Push for inclusion as permanent member of the UN Security Council  Rise to the top of the world’s foreign aid donors

Conclusion  Given the fact that our individual security and well-being will depend to an ever-increasing extent on the world’s success in mastering complex political, economic, and environmental problems, we must redefine “security” to embrace all of those efforts taken to enhance the long-term health and welfare of the human family. Defense against military aggression will obviously remain a vital component of security, but it must be joined by defenses against severe environmental degradation, worldwide economic crisis, and massive human suffering.

Where on the World Wide Web  SIPRI Military Expenditure Country Graphs ilex/Introduction.html ilex/Introduction.html  International Code of Conduct on Arms transfers deindx.htm National Commission for Economic Conversion and Disarmament cecd Military Spending Clock lock.html