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World military spending soars in spite of recession


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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10184610.stm

The US remains the biggest spender, accounting for some 54% of the total, having increased its military spending by $47bn in real terms, Sipri said. Since 2000, the US has increased military spending by 63% in real terms, according to Sipri.

* USA $661bn

* China $100bn (Sipri estimate)

* France $64bn

* UK $58bn

* Russia $53bn

* Japan $52bn

* Germany $46bn

* Saudi Arabia $41bn

* India $36bn

* Italy $36bn

Fascinating that the USA spends more than the combined military budgets of the entire planet :D

Cordially,

JB

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Long term peace?!!!!! Exactly when did that happen?

Incidentally my view is that the American insurrection was a bad thing because it destroyed what would have been an unassailable power in the world.

What chance Hitler of Japan thinking of going to war against the British Commonwealth that included most of the world. I doubt that WW1 would have been contemplated as it was a foregone loss for the Central Powers.

Incidentally the proper title is now the Commonwealth of Nations:

The Commonwealth comprises fifty-four of the world's countries (including one currently suspended member), across all six inhabited continents. The members have a combined population of 2.1 billion people, almost a third of the world population, of which 1.17 billion live in India and 94% live in Asia and Africa combined.[26] After India, the next-largest Commonwealth countries by population are Pakistan (176 million), Bangladesh (156 million), Nigeria (154 million), the United Kingdom (61 million) and South Africa (49 million). Nauru is the smallest member, with about 10,000 people.[27]

The land area of the Commonwealth nations is about 31,500,000 km2 (12,200,000 sq mi), or about 21% of the total world land area. The three largest Commonwealth nations by area are Canada at 10,000,000 km2 (3,900,000 sq mi), Australia at 7,700,000 km2 (2,970,000 sq mi), and India at 3,300,000 km2 (1,270,000 sq mi).[28] The Commonwealth members have a combined gross domestic product (measured in purchasing power parity) of $10.6 trillion, 66% of which is accounted for by the four largest economies: India ($3.3 trillion), the United Kingdom ($2.3 trillion), Canada ($1.3 trillion), and Australia ($800 billion).[29]

If you look at the Wiki article you will see that non- british colonies have applied to join - including France. Now there is an interesting what-if.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations

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Long term peace happened after 1945 - expecially in or at or to Vietnam, Panama, Haiti, Iraq (3 times), World Trade Centre, Oklahoma, Afghanistan (twice), Georgia, Chechenya, Iran, Jamu0-Kashmir, India (two or 3 times - I forget), Pakistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Angola, Rhodesia, Tibet, Nicaragua, Argentinia, Peru, Lebanon, Palestine, Anwar Sadat....and various others I don't recall.

It's happening all the time - don't you read the papers??

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Hey I got Palestine - jsut after Lebanon! :)

I wasn't actually picking on America at all - just the perception that there has been universal peace!

There hasn't been a world war....but then there wasn't one before 1757 or from 1763 to 1914 either - and no-one ever thinks those were periods of universal peace!

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