The immorality of the Arms trade

In the last few days a storm has blown up regarding the supply to Israel of 5000lb so called "bunker buster" bombs by the US through the UK, without apparently, the knowldge of the UK government.

The US is sending a very clear message to Israel. "Carry on, we approve of what you're doing". It's about time the rest of us gave an equally clear message by banning arms sales to Israel indefinately and disallowing transit of weapons through our respective countries.

But this is just a single incident in a trade which has profitted from the deaths of millions. So I propose a simple thought experiment.

Imagine I decided to wait, one night, in a rough neighbourhood where fights often break out between different gangs. I stand there with a small stall selling, to anyone who can pay, hand guns. I must know that the people who are going to buy them are quite likely to be intent on using them on their rivals, and I must know that that will most likely lead to deaths.

In any civilised country, if I were that irresponsible I would expect to be arrested and charged with illegal supply of weapons. I imagine the precise charges would be very extensive.

But, on the other hand, if I manufacture tanks, fighter planes, warships or any of the other machines of modern warfare and sell them to countries in unstable parts of the world who are engaged in hostilities which are resulting in the mass deaths of innocent civilians I'm praised as a captain of industry.

To the people who make weapons I ask this... do you know, exactly where every weapon you make will be used? Are you absolutely certain that the weapon you made today will never be used to kill innocents? If you can't honestly answer these questions, and unless you're the guy who decides where the weapons get sold, you can't, then you're taking part in an amoral act.

One argument is that if we stopped making weapons companies like BAE would have to cut jobs. That implies that there is some sort of moral balance to be made between our jobs and their lives. How can any persons job, something which can be replaced, ever be as important as another persons life, which can't.

It's long past the time when we should stop this immoral trade. If you work in the arms industry I implore you to take a good hard look at the results of your handiwork and get another job. No one wants to be responsible for the murder and maiming of children and families who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The irony is that the arms trade, far from making the world safer makes it more dangerous. So arguments that "I'm doing this to protect our country" are really pretty bogus. Perhaps that would be true if we never exported arms, but each time we do we lose control of them, and that can never make the world safer.

Israel, Lebanon and Palestine

You'll probably notice very quickly as I write more, that a tool I use a great deal is to step back from a problem, and think first about what it is we wish to achieve.

If we apply that thinking to Israel's situation I think it's fair to say that the vast majority of people would like to see a secure Israel, at peace with its neighbours, and the Palestinian people also enjoying their freedom and security.

So if that's the objective, how would we go about achieving it? Peace depends on the various sides in the conflict stopping their aggressive acts. Israel has an significant advantage here, in the theirs is a single government which has complete control over its military, and so it is possible for Israel to decide to stop aggression should it choose to. The Palestinians and Lebanese have less control over the various armed factions, both having weak governments - now due to Israel's actions, even weaker. If they choose to end hostilities there is always the problem that factions outside their control will attack Israel. Israel needs to understand this.

As the situation stands at the moment Israel's disproportionate response will have only one effect. Those Lebanese and Palestinians who a few weeks ago might have been prepared to put down their arms are now much less likely to do so. Israel is the best possible recruiter for the violent factions they claim they want to be rid of. Using collective punishment is incredibly counter productive. To realise this, just look at the Israeli attitude to terror - they don't tolerate it and they try to stamp it out. Now, is it surprising that the civilian population of Palestine and Lebanon take a similar view regarding Israel's actions. Violence, rather than reducing the problem increases it, and in the end will result in more deaths on both sides.

This is not to say, of course, that the terrorists who blow up Israelis or fire rockets into Israel should be allowed to do so. Quite the reverse, but it would be more productive to treat them as criminals. Killing innocents to get to them is utterly reprehensible, and makes to situation worse.

I find it unbelievable that the Israelis don't understand this. I find it equally unbelievable that the Palestinians don't understand that attacking Israel will only make the lives of their people worse. So why do they do it?

The only explanation which makes sense is that they don't care. Hard-liners on both sides, it would appear, are hell-bent on the complete destruction of the other side. So when peace approaches they wreck it by firing a rocket, or taking disproportionate action in response. The peoples of Israel and Palestine need to realise that these people who escalate the violence are the real enemy, and the only way to peace if for them to withdraw their support from violence. There are communities where the two peoples do live in peace - it is possible. Those who trigger these violent incidents are traitors to their people, and don't deserve their support.

How likely is it that this will happen? Without some wisdom and real leadership on one side or the other - not a chance. But if either side can find itself a real leader who is genuinely dedicated to reaching a peaceful settlement then maybe there's just a chance.