The Politics Of Arms Sales

Arms Sales, Politics and “Frankenforces” -- Dr. Robert Farley, The Diplomat

One of the many ways in which the East Asian balance of power does not resemble the “classic” Cold War is in the structure of the arms trade. During the Cold War Soviet arms dominated the Eastern European market, as well as the markets of politically connected Soviet client states in the Middle East and Africa. Western supply was more varied, with the United States occupying a central position but French, British, German, and other arms suppliers sometime vying for the same customers as the Soviets (especially in the Middle East). Nevertheless, in the Cold War a commitment to an arms supplier often implied a geostrategic commitment to one superpower.

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My Comment: So .... the arms trade and international politics walk hand in hand .... why does this not surprise me.