Why the US Sells Weapons to 103 Countries

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Intro (00:00:00)

The US sells weapons to 103 countries.
The arms trade is a complex issue with a long history.
The US government approves weapons sales after ensuring they will not alter the balance of power in the region.
To promote peace and security.
Strategic reasons: stability, allies' defense.
US foreign policy: ability to go anywhere, fight any battle, beat any adversary.
Countries build up weapons to deter attacks.
Balance of power calculations: enough weapons to deter enemies, not too much to provoke escalation.
US arms sales are justified as not altering the regional balance of power.
The US has a massive global presence in arms sales.
Arms sales are a form of US influence on other countries' actions.

The US sells weapons to over 100 countries to secure loyalty, stability, and alliances, as well as to outsource its role as the world policeman.
In exchange for weapons, the US gains various benefits, including friendship, alliances, help against enemies, and access to vital resources.
The US sells weapons to its allies in Europe to strengthen their defenses and to countries like Ukraine to counter its enemies.
In the Middle East, the US sells weapons to countries like Israel to counter its enemy Iran.
The US also sells weapons to countries that control vital resources, such as oil in the case of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.
American weapons come with expectations that recipient countries will help the US project influence and power globally.

The US sells weapons to 103 countries as a means of gaining influence and stability, but this approach has limitations.
Despite receiving US weapons, countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel have not changed their behavior, and the US has limited leverage over them due to strategic considerations.
US-supplied weapons have been used in human rights abuses, such as Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen and the Philippines' War on Drugs.
Weapons sold to allies can be transferred to proxies, leading to conflicts where US-made weapons are used on both sides, as seen in Turkey and Afghanistan.

The US arms trade with over 103 countries is driven by economic interests, political leverage, and the influence of private corporations on lawmakers.
The arms industry creates jobs, generates substantial profits, and perpetuates the production of weapons for both national security and financial gain.
The unchecked growth of the arms industry in the early 1900s contributed to devastating conflicts, leading to efforts to regulate and criticize the industry.
Despite these efforts, conflicts of interest and financial incentives continue to hinder the ability to scrutinize and criticize the arms trade, perpetuating its negative consequences.
The video, created with the contributions of Search Party, a new journalistic brand, provides a historical perspective on the reasons why the United States sells weapons to 103 countries.