What can we do to stop arms dealing to countries that use weapons against their own people?

Question

Countries often use supplied weapons against their own people and, in some cases, against the very countries who supplied them with the arms in the first place. How can this be prevented?

Yahoo! Staff Note: This is the real Jay Kay. For further details, check out the blog at: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKP…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

How much worse is it to use weapons against your own people as opposed to your neighbours, or people a bit further away?

I actually think that if a country uses arms against the country that supplied the arms in the first place thereis some degree of poetic justice to it, on the contrary.

Do you expect an unwritten code of conduct that weapons will not be used against the supplying country but should only be used against other countries? Isn't that, even if it could ever be implemented and adhered to, extremely cynical? That would make selling arms a way to defend yourself: 'go shoot other people, kill them all if you want, but don't touch me...'

I think that we should first look at weapons that have been outlawed or should be outlawed. Think of Israel dropping cluster bombs in th elast 2 days of their invasion of Lebanon, think of Israel (I'm not picking on them, it's just more recent) allegedly using DIME weapons that destroy animals and people but leave infrastructure intact, think of the damage land mines cause years after the conflicts have ended...

I think that the way to outlaw these would be to hit countries where it matters, in the pocket. If you sell landmines to country X and country X uses them, you will have to pay for the clean up. The directors of the corporations doing the sales and the heads of state and military of the country using the weapons should be personally responsible, declaring the corporation bankrupt would not be an option. If you supply cluster bombs, then you will have to pay for the clean up as well as the loss of income and cost of relocation of the residents of the affected areas.

Basically I am saying that the true costs of conflicts must be borne by the perpetrators and their suppliers.

This could be enforced via trade boycotts, just as those used against Iraq prior to the war, ensuring that they couldn't produce any WMD.

FInally this should be applicable to every country and corporation.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

I agree with most of your points here especially around using weapons generally. Many answerers point out that arms dealing is a fact of life, one option is to try to regulate this more, and the only way to do this is globally through the UN. Sign the petition: http://www.controlarms.org

Answer 2

Perhaps we could sent them insignificant pop 'stars' instead.

p.s. Could you email me a copy of you getting yer nose splattered all over your cunting face? Pretty please, I've been a good boy.

Answer 3

leave them to it i say if there willing to kill and mame there own what will they do to us? we have enough fear and terror of our own, due to meddling "for a good cause".

Answer 4

but how would those poor Arms dealers feed themselves if they couldn't sell their lethal weapons to those needy despots?

Answer 5

probably the simplest way is to stop arms dealing full stop. i know this isn't possible because of all the financial implications but it might make people think how some countries beg for financial help from around the world and then fire off x amounts of rounds at a lot of dollars or pounds each
beats feeding those who need it this is from the real me dont need yahoo! confirmation

Answer 6

I think that more accountability within the arms industry is needed. These guys operate as if they are above the Law and indeed in most cases they think they are. The government also usually has a large vested interest in most arms companies, with big money fuelling the fire so it is very difficult to bring arms dealers under control even if they break the Law. A bullet is a "hot" politician and very few would dare to go up against them. They do as they please and everyone allows them to. Zero accountability and secrecy ensure they flourish with the Police and Security Services lending a helping hand.

Source(s):

Denel, ATK

Answer 7

If Jay Kay wants to stop countries dealing in arms , he should remember that people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. How many times has he been in trouble for assault?

Answer 8

America doesnt sell there guns to the American people. Switzaland doesnt sell there guns to there people.
And Germany doesnt sell there guns to there people.
My point is that why do countries make weapons and sell them to other countries.Because the companies(colt,couger etc.)know that they will get a bigger price for there guns if they sell them to less fortunate countries.When will the day come when the world stops these companies altogether.Maybe if we were to unite against them something could be done.But until people unite against these companies that wish to continue to make guns or other types of weapons the world will remain in chaos.
Peace to the world,Before the world brings peace to US!

Source(s):

Life and world news

Answer 9

Not much. If I had the power, I would remove all the males who control their contries then replace them with women. Less testrones, less need to prove each other they are bigger and better than the other.

Its really like watching little boys and their toys - unfortunately grown up men with very dangerous weapons.

Vote for Hilary Clinton. Get old Maggie Thacter back... well maybe get her daughter Carol in the seat. This is a male dominated world - i do wonder what the world would be like if it had been the other way around.

Answer 10

Where theres a profit there will always be someone to sell
where theres immorality - no one will care about the consequence where there is power to be had or religion to be 'defended - there will always be sides

Conflict is caused by people not by weapons

Take away the root cause and we solve the problem -
easy ( may be not)

Every problemhas a solution - often jealousy as in Uganda ( 1972 - Idi Amin)
Greed - The arab world and Oil
Sudan -Hunger and dictators
Religion - you name it - Iraq - the jews in the 2nd world war -
EXCUSES - ANY EXCUSE TO START A FIGHT AND OF COURSE SOMEONE TO ACCEPT THAT EXCUSE AS A REASON

I have no answers


Maybe Gandhi did -as it stands we are all too self centred to listen. We need to educate our children to care, and to use their minds and not their fists.

Answer 11

Nothing mate, as money is what makes americans powerful. They're are twats for money and power.

Answer 12

I think if those leaders were to read the poems of the modern American poet, Linda J Cirillo, then I really think they would come to thier senses.

Answer 13

Nothing can be done.

Arms are designed to kill or incapacitate, and when someone is coming at you with a gun or a petrol bomb or a knife or even a rock, you need to knock them down before they do you in. Every State needs arms, otherwise the criminals would walk over you. If you do not supply arms, then States will build their own - witness South Africa, who, in the apartheid days, were forced to produce their own weaponry. They started with rifles, but soon acquired such expertise and produced weaponry of such quality that I would advocate purchasing some of their surplus Casspir Armoured Personnel Carriers for use with the British forces in Afghanistan.

I'm ex-Service (OK, I was a Cook), but I now provide security for HM Criminal Courts, and you should see the weaponry that ordinary British civvies carry with them. Getting rid of arms is simlpy naive.

Source(s):

Royal Navy CPO(CK)

Answer 14

Nothing sadly, The world is changing every day more innocent people are being hurt through war and sadly its not going to get any better. I feel sorry for the younger generations like my baby daughter, i dred to think what it will be like in twenty years time will it even be safe to go out of the house at all???

Answer 15

the only true way to stop this is for all of mankind to become enlightened.yoda in star wars was quite right, it`s fear that`s the problem.once we all start to think in a positive way about the unknown person or situation,things will change:-}

cheers Andy.

Answer 16

as far as countries are concerned its all busines to them, most countries have turned around and bite the hand that feeds them, and its the every day people who have to put up with the hatered and dislike for each other for what goverments are doing, ask your mate bono hes in everyones pockets got all there phone numbers as well.

Answer 17

There is no way to stop it, where there is money to be made there will always be someone willing to supply arms whether it be through legal or illegal channels. We need to come from the other direction and stop the demand for weapons. But when the demand is coming from the despots and megalomaniacs in governments all over the world, we are fighting a losing battle. It's a no win situation and the best we can hope for is damage limitation.

Answer 18

dead easy. Convince the thousands of people who actually build the weapons that to stop people killing Innocent people, they have to lose their jobs.

Answer 19

Let's all be aware that there are many countries around the globe that manufacture arms. The array of weapons is mind boggling . Those countries that manufacture arms are not really concerned about where they are shipped to . The illegal arms networking ,I am told, is so fantastic that it is near impossible to trace the route. Arms cost a bomb. I am sure that arms shipments are very large ....and so are the cheques.!! Like in the movies .The bottom line is that the arms dealer does not give a hoot about where a shipment is going as long as the payment is assured.

Today the US supplies arms to country X because of some bilateral co-operation. 3 years later things do not turn out right and so country X attacks US interests. If there is an armed insurgency within that country the govt. in power is going to use these arms against the insurgents....who are their own people. This is plain and simple politics . Surely we do not needexamples . The international community of the very rich nations ( is it G7 ? ) is trying to prevent North Korea and Iran from going nuclear yet some countries in G7 are reported to have stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Correct me if I am wrong please. Even Israel is believed to have such weapons, probably enough to wipe out all the "troublesome" middle east countries that oppose a Jewish state. The weapons have probably been supplied by the US. Do you think that one day tehe israelis will shoot at/ bomb US interests ? Maybe ?

So, if you can see where I am going with this you should understand that the kind of prevention you are talking about is not possible. A few countries want to police and rule the world. In the cycle they are at the crest. The crest is followed by a downturn into a trough and that time may be arriving sooner than you think for these countries.
The world is not fair and every dog has its day! The answer is to destroy all arms. Is this possible ?Knowing how sick the human race has become it may not even be practical. The answer is blowing in the wind.

Answer 20

Bad things will always happen to good people?
The majority of the people on this planet are ruled by an idiotic, selfish and greedy minority. I cannot, as one person do anything to globally affect our situation. This is incredibly sad but true. I know this is so pessimistic but unfortunately it is the way our planet works now. Weapons will be traded and sold to unscrupulous people by even more unscrupulous people.

Answer 21

Basically, the short answer is it cant be prevented. No matter how strict laws are, there will always be people that will break them.

Answer 22

For one thing close down all gun shops in the cities and confiscate guns that are registered

Answer 23

I dont think we can do anything anymore it has gone too far! the only ppl who can do something about this are the ppl who are using the weapons! and i dont mean joe bloggs i mean the government etc so basically we are screwed!

P.s. your gorge!

Source(s):

moi!

Answer 24

Put restrictive limits on the materials needed to build these weapons. Also on how many each country should have and a registering process that allows weapons to be traced back to their source. If they only have enough to protect their own country they wouldn't want to sell on to potential enemies

Answer 25

How can they prevent it when the govenments are lining there own pockets with money off the arms dealers.
It is awful that so many peole are dying because of greed. It has to be stopped. Gr8 muisic aswell jay kay.xxxx

Answer 26

The simple answer would be to simply destroy all weapons, arms etc etc but this isn't an ideal world so that's not likely to happen, however, governments, the people with power, should be doing a lot more to combat this situation. they have the power to set up the ability for these weapons to be stopped being put onto the market, and for example if governments worked together in tackling this problem there would be a greater force working against this problem, stopping shipments, keeping tabs on the countries involved, random checks, pretty much do accounting, but also, eradicate the primary source to begin with if it is the black market, take out the arms dealers, that way there isn't anyone to sell the weapons. the government harnesses a lot more power than they let on so instead of hiding that power, they should use it to stop theses problems or at least contribute a lot more to help with this problem

Answer 27

Shut down the CIA and similar bodies, as this is where a major part of the guns trade is initiated - get tired of such agencies (American in particular) playing politics in everyone else's backyards - just creates a mess that everyone else has to live with!

Answer 28

All the world needs in another self righteous rock singer, especially one with neocolonialist leanings. Who are we to decide which countries are responsible enough to be allowed to have weapons

Answer 29

Not a damn thing oh hatted stevie wonder soundalike who makes top tunes.

Whilst governments like ours and America drive arms sales to increase national wealth it will always continue.

Whilst countries trying to build wealth like China and Russia do the same it will always continue.

Short termist greed overpowers the common good of the world every time.

Answer 30

The approach countries take to the sale of arms around the world varies greatly. It is not true that all western democracies have similarly firm attitudes blocking the sale of arms to questionnable dictatorships or indeed countries in severe political turmoil. Lobbying the government, through a dialogue with your MP is a good way to ensure the UK's policy is morally defensible and the government as a whole applies pressure to other countries to avoid arms sales to unpleasant regimes. Concern has been raised about the UK's own policy. Crucially, countries should be encouraged to co-operate and share information in an attempt to reduce the illegal trade.

However, realistically not all countries will follow an ethical policy and countries like China and some former Soviet States have indicated they will go their own way and supply arms on their own terms. The illegal trade is even harder to stamp out and as long as people are willing to pay for weapons people will supply them - rather like drugs.

Conflict is, unfortuantely, a fact of human existance and it is hard to see this ever changing. As long as people feel the need to defend their territory, culture and beliefs they will use weapons to do so. The sad reality is that people will use anything that comes to hand as a weapon to pursue their aims if they feel strongly enough. The genocide in Rwanda and the deaths of some 800,000 people in a little other 3 months was conducted with knives, machetes and other farm implements. Very few guns were used.

Having served in the military and witnessed aggression in Africa, the Balkans and the Midddle East I have come to the conclusion that conflict is a reality of life. Limiting the supply of weapons to places where they will be used against innocent people is a small but important step. However I do not believe it will ever have a dramatic difference. Will Russia really change its policy in the North Caucasus if countries refuse to sell them weapons or will they build them themselves? Beyond that, the bigger question we need to ask ourselves is what do we do when we see innocent people being threatened and murdered and how should we re-act to the events that are taking place every day in countries around the world. Do we have the right and the resources to judge every tribe, people and nation and prevent them using violence against others or amongst themselves?

Answer 31

Stop the companies that make the weapons for export in the first place. The only problem is what happened in South Africa and Israel, if you ban them importing weapons they make there own with some help from certain companies. In these case both countries ended up making weapons for export themselves. You could stop countries like England holding Arms fairs too!