U.S., the Biggest Global Arms Dealer

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


We’re leaders in everything, from outsourcing to having the highest rate of child poverty among industrialized nations. We are also, according to a Congressional Service Research (CRS) report released yesterday, the top seller of arms to the developing world, followed by Russia and Great Britain. Its biggest recipients are Pakistan and India.

With this $28.8 billion market, the U.S. is effectively fueling a long standing rivalry between two nuclear states on the Indian subcontinent by arming both sides and pushing along a regional arms race. By selling F-16’s to both sides, the Bush administration claimed back in 2005, it was “trying to…solidify and extend relations with both India and Pakistan, at a time when we have good relations with both of them…and at a time when they have improving relationships with one another.”

This is certainly nothing new: the U.S. doesn’t hesitate to arm both sides of a conflict. Let us remember Turkey and Greece, as well as Iran and Iraq.

—Neha Inamdar

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate