Should Technology Companies Be Assisting Governments to Produce Military Weapons
Introduction
For generations there was a certain code to war. Civilians were left alone, the one-on-one battles became legendary tales, and standards of conduct became part of the manner in which war was waged. That is not the case anymore. Since World War I all have become part of the conflict. Bombs, land mines, and chemical agents have left none free from the carnage that war brings, but these weapons have done a lot more than change who is part of the battle. They also allow hundreds to thousands to be killed or maimed without ever seeing who it was that inflicted that carnage.
Technology companies have helped to create precision guidance systems that allow a person sitting on a ship to launch a missile that kills a 1000 miles away from the ship. This has taken the romance from war and made it out to what it truly is – ugly.
A Small Number of Countries Suffer the Most
The greatest problem with this kind of innovation is that the countries that have it use it regularly against the nations that don’t. Look at the countries or regions that have had large missile strikes against them:
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Iraq
- Libya
- Palestine
- Gaza Strip
This is not a comprehensive list, but demonstrates that those who do not have the resources or governmental stability become the nations that such attacks are waged against. And who are the nations launching such attacks?
- The United States
- France
- Great Britain
- Russia
- Germany
- Canada
These are all nations with huge resources and a technological infrastructure that gives them a huge advantage in the creation and use of these weapons. These technological advances have turned the art of war into nothing more than a group of tech geeks playing a video game.
The Military Dominates Most Aspects of Society
While many can look at how even uglier that war has become, the truth of the matter is that most nations could not survive without their military complex. This is not a question of defense, but is more one of ability to prosper economically. More civilian workers in the military powers work in the war industries than in all other types of businesses combined. Even companies like toymaker Mattel and phone giant AT&T make parts and systems for the military. Without these technologies being built these companies would have to lay off thousands of workers, crippling the economy.
Will Warring Reach to an End?
Conclusion
The faceless war is now the standard, which is a sad fact of life. The sensible thing to say is that it should come to an end, but that is impossible. Nations would collapse economically without them and this will likely mean that we will see more companies jump into bed with the military powers of the world simply out of a need to survive and thrive.
References
- Moulton, Brent R. (2003). “Accounting for Military Assets.” Paper presented at Canberra II Group meeting, Voorburg, 15-17 April.
- International Federation of Accounts, Public Sector Committee (no date). “Accounting for Expenditure on Specialist Military Equipment Under the Accrual Basis of Accounting.” Staff issues paper.
- Paparella, Christof, and Viet Vu (2003). “The Treatment of Military Assets in National Accounts.” UN Statistical Division. Paper presented at Canberra II Group meeting, Paris, 13-15 October.