World Bank condemns defence spending

[dArKeR]

The president of the World Bank condemned the amount developed countries spend on defence on Friday, saying it was "madness" compared with the sums committed to aid projects.

James Wolfensohn told an audience in Australia: "We are spending 20 times the amount on military expenditure than what we are spending on trying to give hope to people."

He added: "If a Martian came to earth and read the millennium development goals, and then looked at what we're doing, you'd think we were mad. We are spending $1-trillion a year on defence.

"We talk about freeing trade and we've got $300-billion to $350-billion being spent in ... agricultural subsidy or tariffs, and we're spending maybe $50-billion on development.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=31188

It's Madness led by Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Lockheed, Gingrich, Delay, Hastert, Falwell, Robertson, Fineman, Russert...

[ramapo]

1. Can't just blame Republicans

Defense spending is truly stunning especially when you consider how "little" it would cost (in relative terms) to seriously address problems like hunger, air and water pollution, and energy research.

Defense is a hugh business that we get little real benefit from while certain corporations prosper.

Democrats play the game also. They're not about to cut defense spending (political suicide) as well as vested interests (though not as much) in defense industries.