ETHICAL ISSUES ON AMERICAS HUGE EXPENDITURE ON MILITARY

BY VARUN VARMA

Introduction
Any country mainly maintains its defense to protect it

selves against intruders. maintaining defense forces and technology required is a sensitive issue that depends on the economic growth of the country. The entire global expenditure on military annually is nearly $ 1 trillion whereas America contributes to nearly 70% of the global expenditure on military. America has been in a debt of nearly $4-$5 trillion to russia,uk and china and even in such dire consequences america goes by spending $800 billion a year for military is it justified for America and are the people justified ..?

 Washington's $1.4 trillion annual military and national

security expenditures are a major factor behind America's monumental national debt and the cutbacks in social services for the people, but aside from White House rhetoric about reducing redundant Pentagon expenditures, overall war/security budgets are expected to increase over the next several years.

Increased spending during the global economic crisis

The America's expenditure on defense has doubled in the

same period when its economy shrunk from 32% to 23% of the global output. Many employees both from the private and government organizations have been fired out due to the economic crisis and prevalence of recession in a huge scale. Even during the aftermath of the financial crisis and cries of the government cutting back, even then the military spending appears to have been spared. Is it ethical on the part of the government to limit the freedom of their citizens by excising more taxes and being one of the reason due to their deprival of their complete sustenance by spending more on defense rather on their development

Effect on educational institutions

The government has been funding the educational

institutions under the name or research and development but in reality the government has been putting the future of the research scholars and the students at a stake. Ethical problems for participating scientists arise because the very basis of military activity is antithetical to the principles of science. The scientist/student is held sole responsibility if the outcome is not as expected and if they do not accept, the government stops funding the universities.

Increased white collar crimes

Wherever money is in excess , there arises scams , white

collar crimes and other illegal activities. The American government has turned to be a puppet in the hands of the BOEING ,which being the worlds one of the two best aircraft manufacturers have charged an excess of $13 MILLION ONLY FOR 18 GEAR PARTS. theyve been levied of $644.75 for a gear that sells $12.51 and the most funniest issue being charging of $71 for a thin metal that costs 4 cents!!!!

Contd
Similarly BAE SYSTEMS have charged an extra of $30

billion The pentagon is unaccounted for spending $3.5 trillion since its invasion on Iraq and Afghanistan. The monetary loss that America has incurred on arms , ammunitions and research due to scams that have occurred for past 10 years (since America's inception in Afghanistan) have accounted for nearly $60 billion.

America's Endless Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Military expenditure pertaining to any country should be

used for only safe-guarding the country and any attempt to provoke the safety of the other nation is considered unethical America has used the monetary gains from the market in utilizing them in waging wars against Iraq and Afghanistan and other dozen countries in the name of eliminating terrorism and supplying combat troops for internal security but the true reason being expansion of US power and controlling Mideast oil.

Cont
US spends 54% of its revenue on military out of which

18% is spent on Iraq and Afghanistan. Some mind-blowing facts regarding its expenditure on Iraq and Afghanistan : 1. The yearly cost of stationing one soldier in Iraq could feed 60 American families. 2. Each day in Afghanistan costs the government more than it did to build the entire pentagon. 3. The pentagon which is responsible for the US military issues consumes 80% of individual income tax revenue.

4. The pentagon spends more on war than all 50 states combined spent on health, education , welfare and safety. 5. The total known land area occupied by US bases and facilities is 15,654 sq miles bigger than DC,MASSACHUSETTES and NEW-JERSEY combined. 6.Pentagon spent more money every five seconds in IRAQ than an average American earned in a year. 7.US military has over 700 bases in 130 different countries around the globe. 8.The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost more than $150 billion a year.

 The total amount spent on wars against IRAQ and

AFGHANISTAN alone could account for $3847 for each and every individual present in The USA.

conclusion
Im no military expert, but I dont think its wise on

spending this much money on something the US is superior in by a considerable margin. The military expenditure is $700 billion, more than the next dozen countries including China ,Russia , Japan and the entire of the NATO combined. Even if some of those nations are fudging the numbers, its doubtful theyre anywhere near the level of the USA especially since the logistical and technical abilities far exceed what most other nations are spending their money on.

 And while the US is the most egregious example, largely

due to the wealth and sole superpower status, its hardly the only one. US spends 4.2% of the GDP on military.($800 billion) Many of the top spenders are hardly wealthy either, and its perverse to imagine sleek new weapons of destruction being paraded past crumbling buildings and starving citizens.

 every gun that is made, every warship launched, every

rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its labourers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children thank you