The US of A(rms)

The United States dominates the global arms trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the Middle East | WILLIAM D. HARTUNG

Infrastructure of US bases in the Middle East | David Vine

The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world’s leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the endlessly war-torn Middle East. There, believe it or not, the U.S. controls nearly half the arms market. From Yemen to Libya to Egypt, sales by this country and its allies are playing a significant role in fuelling some of the world’s most devastating conflicts. But Donald Trump, even before he was felled by Covid-19 and sent to Walter Reed Medical Center, could not have cared less, as long as he thought such trafficking in the tools of death and destruction would help his political prospects.

US media ‘experts’ on Iran with undisclosed ties to the defence industry

Since US president Donald Trump ordered the drone attack that assassinated Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and Abud Mahdi al-Muhandis, a leading member of the Iraqi armed forces and eight other officials, US and Canadian television news has been filled with commentary on the strike and its implications. An investigation by the Popular Information website reveals that numerous “experts” appearing on cable TV to opine on Iran have undisclosed financial ties to the biggest arms monopolies. They are deliberately paraded as neutral, independent, non-partisan and “third party experts” to confuse the people and put them out of action. Some are also featured by CBC. | JUDD LEGUM

This is significant because arms monopolies and other entities that do business with the Pentagon profit from war, the most profitable business of all. They sell the products that make war possible. If there is more fighting, they will sell more weapons. That’s why weapons manufacturers saw their stock prices spike after Gen. Soleimani was killed.

Canada’s integration into the US imperialist war economy

By K.C. ADAMS

Canada’s integration into the U.S. imperialist war economy is a serious matter of concern for Canadians. The U.S. war economy has tentacles into every U.S. state as well as Canada and countless other places abroad. The war economy encompasses production and sales of military goods and services to military customers domestically and internationally and all the fixed and circulating value it requires to operate such as buildings and fuel. The war economy includes thousands of military bases, airports, colleges, research centres, intelligence agencies, testing facilities and a vast army of active duty and reservist military personnel and services to veterans.