"Too Convenient Sickos"

"Too Convenient Sickos"

Japan's Defense Minister resigned today, taking responsibility for his inappropriate remarks, on the US atomic (nuclear) bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, which were too friendly to the U.S. or too convenient for making oneself look like a reluctant friend of the U.S.

Ms. Yuriko Koike, former minister for the environment and special advisor to the prime minister for national security, has taken over the position.

(She was once a TV reporter, which may be a convenient career nowadays, though she might have rather liked to pursue her original career until the end for her personal happiness, just in my personal view.)
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Now, let's see the world ranking of manufacturers on sales of military equipment:

(Please use the small letter size of Internet Explorer for Viewing the table below.)

[No.]...[Name]............[Sales in 2002 / 2003].....[Country]
..........................................[unit: US$ Million]
1. Lockheed/Martin...............18,870.......24,910.......US
2. Boeing..............................22,170......24,370.......US
3. Northrop/Grumman...........17,800......22,720.......US
4. BAE Systems.....................14,070.....15,760......Britain
5. Raytheon..........................14,510......15,450........US
6. General Dynamics...............9,820.......13,100........US
7. Thales................................6,840.........8,350........France
8. EADS.............................5,630........8,010....France/Germany/Spain
9. United Technologies............5,640.........6,210..........US
10. Finmeccanica....................3,720.........5,290.........Italy
11. L-3 Communications..........3,020.........4,480.........US
12. Halliburton..........................480...........3,920..........US
13. Computer Sciences.............1,980..........3,780.........US
14. SAIC..................................3,000.........3,700..........US
15. Rolls-Royce........................2,850..........2,970........Britain
16. Mitsubishi.......................2,780.........2,430.........Japan
17. General Electric.................2,200.........2,400.........US

[Source: Sekai-Kokusei-Zue 2005/06;
http://www5.mediagalaxy.co.jp/yanotsuneta-kinenkai/index.html]

Since the U.S. had launched the military invasion of Iraq in March 2003, every major arms manufacturer, except Japan's Mitsubishi (No. 16), increased its sales from the level of the previous year.

(Japanese companies are forbidden to export weapons and arms by law.)

Notably, Halliburton's sales increased from 480 million dollars in 2002 to 3.92 billion dollars in 2003.

It should be also noted that Japan's Mitsubishi is the only major arms manufacturer that has less than 10% of a ratio between its arms sales and its total sales; the ratio of Mitsubishi is actually 2%, but that of Lockheed/Martin is 78%.

It is apparent that millions of workers in these companies and related industries globally have enjoyed nice salaries, handsome rewards, and lucrative compensation, even though they may be contributing much to the victory in the Global War on Terror.

However, more citizens, taxpayers, and consumers are being left behind.

It should be also noted that US companies accounted for 63.3% of arms sales in the world in 2004; European companies accounted for 29.4%; and Russian companies 1.2%, though in terms of export accounts of arms, Russia is No.1, and in terms of import accounts of arms, China is No. 1.
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Withdrawal of US troops from Iraq will restore a sound state of global economy; but can millions of beneficiaries worldwide support the idea of the peace, sacrificing their higher level of a living standard?

Or, does Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton have any ideas and means to persuade millions of beneficiaries in the defense industry to accept withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq?

I do not think that Mr. Michael Moore, who recently made a debut in "Larry King Live," just for your information, or Mr. Al Gore, now notable as a film maker on environment, can make a film on the US defense industry, for example, with a title such as "Inconvenient Sickos."

I do not think that any American can do it; but people in poor countries and Muslims may be thinking that there may be some Japanese who can do it.

If I were to, though, I would not ask Mr. Gore or Mr. Moore to play a hero in the movie.

(I have, of course, some idea at least about a hero or a heroine as well as the title. In that case, Enron and WorldCom may look like an opening act. Indeed, a life of a soldier is more valuable than those of Wall Streeters. Yes, bring the industry into daylight! Soldiers have a right to know the truth. American soldiers deserve the truth.)


"...He will persist until he causes justice to triumph, and on him all peoples will put their hope..."