The world spent $1.46 trillion (USD) in 2008. That number is mind-boggling, so big that it’s nearly impossible to imagine so much money. How many ways could that money have improved the world? Even more scary, global military spending grew by 45 per cent in the last decade.
When it comes to military spending, the United States is in its own, super-heavyweight weight class. America spent $607 billion, eclipsing second-place China’s $85 billion, France’s $66 billion, and the United Kingdom at $65 billion.
These numbers come from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Check out all their information at their site.
I couldn’t help but think about our military obsession while I sat in a strange place: a movie theatre. Hollywood’s new Transformers movie flashed across the screen, three hours of soldiers, guns, rockets, and robots in disguise. The biggest and flashiest fighting technology saves the day. A saviour in a machine.
So, robot soldiers are our heroes and we spend more on war than true peace. It’s clear where this world puts its faith. Those who believe in a better way to find peace should speak up.
1 Comment(s)
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
It’s discouraging to think that as military budgets increase, organizations like MCC and CPT struggle to get enough funds to run their important ministries.