French War Mongers

[IronDuke]

I recently heard a radio program about how France has overtaken the United States in the value of weapons exports. They interviewed some professor who claimed that the French military-industrial complexes are so influential over the government that they often pressure the government to send troops to different conflicts just to test the weapons under “real” conditions and prove to potential buyer how effective they can be.

I don’t know how much of that is true, but it sounds like something you’d expect from a leader like George Bush, so maybe it happens in France too.

What’s odd for me is that the French people let their government allow these exports. They are used by dictators around the world to oppress their people and wage brutal wars, killing and maiming thousands annually. Do they turn a blind eye in the name of a stronger national economy just because their devastating and bloody consequences are used so far away? Would there be more outrage if French-made weapons were being used to kill Danes or Swedes instead of Africans? (They were used efficiently to kill Brits in the Falklands War…) Doesn’t this kind of war mongering go against everything the EU was built on?

Sorry if this post offends a few people, but I am really upset by this for some reason, and would like the perspective of a Frenchman/woman.

 

[Genghis Khan]

This is not that new.  The movie Lord of War deals with exactly this sort of thing.  The major UN nations are all accused of doing the same thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_War

EDIT: Like you said, Duke, I don't know how much of these accusations are true and how much is presumptuous.  I do believe that selling weapons to a democratic country at peace like South Africa is different then selling it to a war-torn country like Sudan or a dictatorship like North Korea.

I'm not French, as you know.  But, notice that Canada is on the above link's list.  Once again, I don't know how true this is and to which countries the weapons are sold.

 

[Belenor]

Well one of our journalists was on Sri Lanka and when he said he is from Czechoslovakia, he was told that they know Czechoslovakia well, they kill each other there using czech weapons. Nothing to be proud of, heh

 

[Raven]

I recently heard a radio program about how France has overtaken the United States in the value of weapons exports. They interviewed some professor who claimed that the French military-industrial complexes are so influential over the government that they often pressure the government to send troops to different conflicts just to test the weapons under “real” conditions and prove to potential buyer how effective they can be.

I don’t know how much of that is true, but it sounds like something you’d expect from a leader like George Bush, so maybe it happens in France too.

What’s odd for me is that the French people let their government allow these exports. They are used by dictators around the world to oppress their people and wage brutal wars, killing and maiming thousands annually. Do they turn a blind eye in the name of a stronger national economy just because their devastating and bloody consequences are used so far away? Would there be more outrage if French-made weapons were being used to kill Danes or Swedes instead of Africans? (They were used efficiently to kill Brits in the Falklands War…) Doesn’t this kind of war mongering go against everything the EU was built on?

Sorry if this post offends a few people, but I am really upset by this for some reason, and would like the perspective of a Frenchman/woman.

The arms trade of our so-called 'Developed' world is a secret that most of the major countries like to keep under wraps.  Our governments pour money into developing weapons, and show us how our own country's military and security services are benefiting from it, 'increasing our security'.  Meanwhile, they neglect to show how they're giving weapons to nearly every developing country engaged in some sort of conflict.  'Peace sells' on the surface, but constant war is a more preferable state for the arms dealers...as long as it's somewhere far away.  The trouble is, because the politicians will refuse to discuss the situation with the public, it's not going to change.  As usual, Joe Public gets screwed over by 'democracy'.  It's hardly suprising...and we can't do shit about it.  Even if you got some sort of public petition or protest organised, the government probably won't change.  Look at the various efforts to scale down nuclear armament during the Cold War-did SALT I and II really do all that much?  I don't think so.  Despite the attempt to end the Cold War, the USSR nearly initiaed MAD in 1983, thanks to their crappy computer systems.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I just had a thought.  Was not Megadeth's 'Peace Sells' written in part due to this issue?

 

[Raven]

I just had a thought.  Was not Megadeth's 'Peace Sells' written in part due to this issue?

Quite possibly.  But the song seems, to me, more a criticism of the entire political system in America, rather than this one facet of it.  But who knows what went through Dave Mustaine's mind at the time?  Apart from plenty of illegal substances...