<p>“Earlier this year, 50,000 military officers and arms dealers descended on Abu Dhabi for the International Defence Exhibition and Conference. Some are allies, others mortal enemies (India, say hello to Pakistan). But here they meet and mingle, shopping for missile systems, assault rifles, and attack helicopters.”</p>
<p>Icky for sure. Still, I’d rather have “parties” like this one out in the open. Not all combat commanders are as honorable as “Cat” Shannon (The Dogs of War).</p>
<p>Heck, the Arab Spring has created a whole new generation of arms customers out of shopkeepers and philosophy students, not to mention giving a serious goose to demand from the same-olds!</p>
<p>"He said UK export controls were the strongest in the world and stressed that the UK defence industry is worth £35bn a year, employing 300,000 people.</p>
<p>How many Kindles and Ipads can be sold instead? Maybe, literacy would approve? How many students could be educated? Or more basic…how about food?</p>
<p>“You can’t legislate for how the buyers will use the product,” he said."</p>
<p>Of course…if the buyers couldn’t buy…it wouldn’t be necessary to worry about further legislation.</p>
<p>I don’t see an issue with this. Do you see a problem with it because of the location - as opposed to Farnborough, UK or Paris every other year or other events held elsewhere? Or is the issue that anyone anywhere would ever buy a weapon? </p>
<p>I attended the one at Farnborough once, just for the air show open to civilians, not the military arms marketplace that happens prior. It was a fantastic airshow and I’ve been to many.</p>
<p>Besides ****ing away billions of dollars so a few can get wealthy…</p>
<p>No…the issue is you have sworn enemies shopping in the same place…probably expressing pleasantries to each other…and then buying weapons that will kill each other’s people…</p>
<p>You would think if they hated each other that much…they might at least avoid going to the same convention…</p>
<p>“Hi Bob.”</p>
<p>“Hi John…”</p>
<p>“Bob…I am thinking of buying the best, the greatest, the most
technological advanced weaponry so my country can kill hundreds of thousands of your fellow citizens.”</p>
<p>“That’s cool John. Just remember to give me a heads up so I can make sure I am out of the country”.</p>
<p>“Absolutely, Bob. And you do the same for me”.</p>
<p>“Of course, John. I have been dying to play at Pebble Beach. Ooops poor language choice.
We can play golf when there is a clash.”</p>
<p>^^ Hey - isn’t that what they did in that one cartoon with the dog and the coyote (Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog) where they were quite pleasant to each except while they were on the clock?</p>
<p>The cadence of the title of this thread reminded me instantly of the line “Heard of a van that was loaded with weapons” from the song “Life During Wartime,” which means that I’ll be playing Talking Heads all day long today. Thanks, OP.</p>