NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 24 Sept) — The Ukraine-Russia war is already seven months old with no end in sight. Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained steadfast in pursuing his greed regardless of the cost. The West continues to arm Ukraine to counter and slow down the Russo aggression. Thus, the war has turned Ukraine a venue for an arms fair, where smart ultra-efficient killing machines and bombs are exhibited, tried and used for the whole world to see, to covet. These smart weapons kill and abolish the targets with no risk or danger to the life of the killer behind them.
It’s a heyday for the arms industry across the globe; it’s making a huge killing overnight in the Ukrainian-Russo war. US alone has already spent $2.98 billion in military hardware and other war material a month after the February 24 Russian invasion in addition to the $13.5 billion security assistance commitment to the beleaguered country in 2021. UK also extended $1.5 billion worth of modern weaponry as aid to Ukraine. Germany. France, Poland, Canada and Australia are also outstanding donors to the war effort against Putin’s unprovoked aggression.
The arms industry is apparently one of the most profitable of all industries, next, perhaps, only to the big pharmaceutical industry. The big pharma will be always Number 1 because almost everybody needs medicines; whereas only a few needs to do some killing.
Like the big pharma, the arms industry invests tremendous amount in research, tapping the topnotch in engineering, communication technology, chemistry, biology and many other disciplines in developing sophisticated equipment and tools of war. The arms industry also pours money in politics to win policy makers that could further its interest.
It appears that as long as arms and bullets are produced, there would always be wars or at least battles or armed skirmishes in various locations across the globe. There is always an uprising or a rebellion here and there, labeled as low intensity conflicts. There is no secret how, without resources, ragtag rebel groups, are able to secure arms and munitions. Some friendly forces would simply emerge from nowhere to supply the rebels, the return of investment is collected from the huge arms sale made with the threatened regime.
There may be no end to armed conflicts because they fuel the economy of some developed countries.
War is good business. If there’s none, the most enterprising of entrepreneur will have to invent one and may make it sustainable.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines)