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Britain is the world's biggest arms dealer

  2. phillyharper
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We've spent years and years chasing down "the bad guys" and their weapons, but the reality is that we're now the biggest dealer of advanced weaponry in the world. According to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK arms dealers secured a mind boggling £9.7 billion of new business to their already huge empires last year, which means we now deal more weapons than the US.

It seems strange that this would be something to be proud of, but somehow, Digby Jones, the Minister for Trade and Investment managed to sound quite dapper and pleased about the announcement.

“As demonstrated by this outstanding export performance, the UK has a first-class defence industry, with some of the world’s most technologically sophisticated companies.”

Isn't this similar to being proud of being the worlds best drug dealer?
phillyharper

18 responses // Britain is the world's biggest arms dealer

  • Gosh UK!!
    Swiyyah
  • Mmmmm....guns.... Oh sorry, the picture was making me drool on my keyboard.
    Surprising. I would have guessed the US or Russia.
    Dmitri_Molotov
  • Quite amazing for a country that will not allow its own citizens to arm themselves.

    This must be a result of the Bush/Blair project.....

    I would definitely have thought that we Americans would have taken that title.

    Oh yeah, that's right. We're just the largest exporters of war. I forgot.
    1percent
  • While people like Mark Thatcher make millions dealing them the prisons fill up with with small time crooks selling weed. Oh what a world!
    Merge9
  • You got that right Merge9. I still think the numbers have been fixed though. I beliieve it is America or Russia. I would have to see the data. America is the largest exporter of death and destruction I am sure. That is one thing the Bush family is good at.
    Robroy1
  • We give them guns so they can shoot each other and make sure countries are weak enough to be exploited by the western multi nationals. Its just the bloody UN trying to sort things out all the time thats a real pain in the arse ....!!!
    hereandnow
  • i guess the u.k. keeps their citizens from shooting each other as much as we do here in the u.s. by selling all their guns to everyone else...there's a twisted brilliance to this story [insert sadly ironic chuckle].
    blackdaylight
  • I am sure that were we able total up the devestation caused by small arms over the last 20 or 30 years, we would find that weapons such as those shown in the picture above are the true weapons of mass destruction.

    Sadly, most of the countries involved in the conflicts that have produced that devestation do not have the manufacturing capability to produce such weapons on their own!
    seeker561
  • Personally, I don't think it's something to be proud of, it's good we have a strong export trade, but to be seemingly so proud about it seems a little wrong to me. It's like he's ignoring the consequences that these weapons could be causing.
    mattbrawn
  • Yep....... and then people wonder why there are so many young people dying as a result of gun crime.......
    Ghaz
  • The UK has always been a major arms exporter. This will have little to do with the "Bush/Blair" project.

    True our general public is not allowed to carry arms. This is because its proven time and time again that when the everyone can carry a gun easily they tend to go out and kill people with them.

    Our country has been propping up unpleasant regimes around the world since the very beginning. Its nothing new for us really.

    The arms trade is protected in this country as its a major export for us. When there was an international arms fair in London at a major conference centre a few months back, the mayor of London at the time admitted he was ashamed at it. Protesters were met with heavy resistance from police and I believe one or two detained under the terrorism act....which may I add now allows the UK authorities to take people away and hold them without charge for upto 42 days. More than half of the people arrested under this turn out to be innocent.
    graemesmith
  • I like how UKers are (those I've talked to) so proud that they don't allow guns for the public, yet the country itself sells guns by the masses and they are not safe from killings for several people have been killed with a knife.

    It may not be high numbers like the United States but the fact still stands, if someone wants to kill someone there is no stopping them by limiting their choices of weaponry. They'll become creative. Unwittingly you are making a smarter criminal.
    J_Jammer
  • Holy crap. No wonder Brown remains subservient to BushCo. But I do wonder if they have good numbers on the arms coming from China into Africa.
    PoliticalGeek
  • J_Jammer - the key parts of your comments can be summerised in the parts 'several' for UK vs 'high numbers' for US. This may be due in part to the free accessabilty of danergerous weapons.
    Merge9
  • Access to high weapons does not create killers. Anger and hate create killers. Weapons are enhancements for survival to capture food or for revenge and domination of right. They do not alter the mental chemistry and thinking of a person. They are merely objects that people choose to use to destroy or help.
    J_Jammer
  • J_Jammer.

    If we are to compare stats nation for nation on homicide then the current rate for the UK is 2 compared to the US at 5.7. This is per 100, 000 people.

    So according to the 2007 stats you are twice as likely to be murdered in the US than in Britain.

    So guns dont kill people, people do? As Eddie Izzard once said "I think the gun helps...just going upto people and saying bang isn't going to do much".

    Chances are that ease of access to a nice efficient murder weapon is likely to encourage you to do the deed. Of that I am sure.
    graemesmith
  • Unless you have experience in murdering someone or have stabbed someone I don't see how what you said is more valid than what I stated.

    People are what they are and should they be full of dislike and hate they will most likely do something as dumb as murder whether or not the weapon is a knife, a straw or a banana. People who's intent is to kill find a way. If knifing someone was so difficult then there wouldn't be a high amount of that going on in the UK. Since it's higher than it normally is I can't see how it's so difficult for someone to do if they are doing it so easily now more than ever.

    I did not say that guns do not kill I said that humans who want to will do it whether or not they have a gun or their fist. The gun makes it easier to get the job done but that doesn't negate people who intend on murdering someone.

    The idea that guns kill is true but to state that having them is the reason for killing is just a point and blame mentality. If there was a higher rate of murder via poison and gun was on the lower end would people still have this feeling that guns are evil?

    They should. The top ten list of murder weapons shouldn't matter if the gun is bad the gun is bad. there is no need to back your statements with death. But I think that's what people do. They back it with OMG this many have died from guns instead of just plainly stating that guns (because they are) are just bad. They don't bring up joy to anyone, never have and never will.

    That's besides the point because you can put a gun in the hand of a good person and no one will ever die. You put a gun in the hand of an evil person and every bullet will find a target.

    it's not as much the gun's fault as it is the person's intent and hatred for persons.
    J_Jammer
  • Guns Don't kill People . People Kill People. Also a good gun control is using bouth hands .

    For some reason I'm fealing that China is propobly the bigest over US or Russia , it might be even with UK but it might be bigger . Reason is that Bill Clinton made a deal with China to buy TONS of AK-47's for who knows what for .

    Also i belive that UK publick got brainwashed to beliving that Gun's in citizens hands couse more harm . The truth is that the criminals get their guns and they are not registered at all , so they didn't turn them in .

    And now there is more personal crime in UK then b4 cause criminal knows that this citizen has nothing to defend him self .

    No mather what , If i have an impolse to kill someone , all i have to reach into my poket and pull out a pencil and stik that into someone neck . No gun needed .
    TsiArt

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