POSITION PAPER
ON
SALE OF FOREIGN ARMS TO SUPPORT UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY
1. This is a position paper on whether the sale of foreign arms supports United States foreign policy. It will cover the pros and cons of this issue, and then it will argue that the sale of foreign arms does support United States foreign policy.
2. The sale of foreign arms, also known as foreign military sales (FMS), is the sale of American-made or American-designed weapons systems, military items, training, or services to foreign customers. This means that companies in the United States, or the United States government, sell planes, tanks, missiles, guns, and other military-related goods and services to foreign customers, mostly the militaries of other countries.
…show more content…
FMS result in American-made weapons proliferating out into the world. When those weapons get into the hands of United States enemies, or when the people the United States sells to later become enemies of the United States, it results in strengthening the enemies of the United States. Because these weapons are sometimes stolen, the United States does not know where they might end up, and they may be used against the United States. Having high-grade weapons in the world, in general, can destabilize regions and cause further headaches for United States foreign policy down the road. The law of unintended consequences comes into play when the United States sells weapons to one side of a conflict, thinking that it will help, only to see that conflict spiral out of control in ways that could not be predicted, such as in the conflict in Syria.2 However, it is helpful to have a tool such as FMS to influence relations around the …show more content…
Overall, FMS helps the United States influence foreign policy in a positive way for itself and its allies. It builds relationships and increases the bonds between allies while denying those advantages to its enemies. The United States recently sold billions of dollars of arms to Iraq to support its military.3 FMS is a powerful tool in negotiations. The United States can offer to sell arms to a country if that country cooperates, or threaten to sell to its enemies if it does not. These interactions make FMS a surefire way to support United States foreign policy.
5. This position paper covered the topic of whether the sale of foreign arms supports United States foreign policy. It covered the pros and cons of this issue, and then it argued that the sale of foreign arms does support United States foreign policy.
Notes
1. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Main Page, accessed 19 February 2017,
Moore, Matthew, “Arming the embargoed: a supply-side understanding of arms embargo violations”, Journal of Conflict Resolution (2010) 54 pp. 593-615
Between 1895 and 1920, the years in which William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson reigned in the presidents, the United States struggled for not only justice at home but abroad as well. During this period policies such as Roosevelt’s Big Stick diplomacy, William Taft’s Dollar diplomacy, and Woodrow Wilson’s Moral diplomacy were all used in foreign affairs in hopes of benefit for all involved. However, it would be appropriate to say that self-interest was the most important driving factor for American policy and can be exemplified through economic, social, and political relations.
The book A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy, by Joyce Kaufman, and the essay, American Foreign Policy Legacy by Walter Mead both acknowledge the history, and the importance of American foreign policy. The two argue that American foreign policy has always been an essential aspect of the prosperity and health of the United States. After reading these writings myself, I can agree that American foreign policy in the U.S. has always been detrimental to the success of this nation. Throughout history most Americans have had very little interest in foreign affairs, nor understood the importance. This essay will address the importance of foreign policy, why Americans have little interest in foreign affairs, and what the repercussions
It is the intention of this essay to explain the United States foreign policy behind specific doctrines. In order to realize current objectives, this paper will proceed as follows: Part 1 will define the Monroe Doctrine, Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 will concurrently explicate the Roosevelt Corollary, Good Neighbor Policy, and the Nixon Doctrine, discuss how each policy resulted in U.S. involvement in Latin American countries, describe how it was justified by the U.S. government, respectively, and finally, will bring this paper to a summation and conclusion.
Beginning with a review of constitutionally assigned roles and the intent of our forefathers, this essay will analyze the history of war powers that propelled Congress to pass the War Powers Act of 1973. Furthermore, this report will evaluate the effectiveness of the War Powers Act and whether it accomplished its purpose. In conclusion, this report provide recommendations to balance power within the three branches of the U.S. government in regards to the nation’s decision making for foreign policy and the use of force.
CREDIBILITY: I personally have worked in a gunsmith shop where firearms are sold. I have also studied the effect firearms have on people. I have clearly decided with the data collected for this presentation, a uniform national gun policy needs to be administered.
It is the desire of the United States to preserve the technological superiority that we have enjoyed for so long. After all, if no other nation equals our level of technology, then it greatly reduces any threat from another nation simply because we can counter anything they may threaten us with. However, if it is not possible to retain such a lead in technology (and it is not, at least not for long), then it becomes necessary to retain the ability to deal with all subsequent security threats in an efficient manner. Smith advocated, and the United States has implemented, the use of export barriers to make sure that crucial goods or intelligence vital to national security does not leave the country or fall into the hands of our enemies.
Adams, Bob. "Gun Control Debate." CQ Researcher 12 Nov. 2004: 949-72. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.
By minimizing the threats worldwide, not only do we make it easier for the United States to promote the policies that we want, but we also create many new allies. These new allies help to make up the coalition that was the aim of our defense policy. Also, these allies will be grateful for the help that we have given them and will recognize us as a true Superpower. The U.S. will be the superpower that has influenced the resolutions of conflicts that occurred in the world and they will also have the money to back up their actions. Therefore, the United States will be the sole superpower of a coalition of allies and they will be able to control what goes on throughout the international community. We will have reached the goal of our proposed defense policy and the country will be in a better position for doing so.
Due to the alarmingly large number of public massacres, gun reform has yet again become a highly debated issue in America. In the past, laws were enacted that were meant to restrict ammunition and military classes of weapons from resale in the United States. Due to strong lobbying efforts of the National Rifle
My project is on the effect of the Nuclear Arms Race on the US economy. In this paper, I will be discussing the arms race’s direct effects on the economy as well as the indirect effects from innovations that came about as a result of the increased military spending.
Lall, Betty G., and John Tepper. Marlin. Building a Peace Economy: Opportunities and Problems of Post-cold War Defense Cuts. Boulder: Westview, 1992. Print.
2. Stability and Economic Growth in the Middle East If peace can somehow be established in the Middle East, the U.S. government might not have to spend as much money on the military as they do now. If the economies of the countries in the middle east become more stable and experience growth, this will give them more opportunities to trade with the United States, improving both the economies of those countries and the U.S.
Whenever world politics is mentioned, the state that appears to be at the apex of affairs is the United States of America, although some will argue that it isn’t. It is paramount we know that the international system is shaped by certain defining events that has lead to some significant changes, particularly those connected with different chapters of violence. Certainly, the world wars of the twentieth century and the more recent war on terror must be included as defining moments. The warning of brute force on a potentially large scale also highlights the vigorousness of the cold war period, which dominated world politics within an interval of four decades. The practice of international relations (IR) was introduced out of a need to discuss the causes of war and the different conditions for calm in the wake of the first world war, and it is relevant we know that this has remained a crucial focus ever since. However, violence is not the only factor capable of causing interruption in the international system. Economic elements also have a remarkable impact. The great depression that happened in the 1920s, and the global financial crises of the contemporary period can be used as examples. Another concurrent problem concerns the environment, with the human climate being one among different number of important concerns for the continuing future of humankind and the planet in general.
The effects of small arms and light weapons (SALW) trafficking has come under scrutiny in the past decade due to the amount of weapons U.S. SALW manufacturers are hemorrhaging overseas primarily because traceability, culpability, and transparency of information are difficult to come by. Small arms are for personal use and include, “pistols, rifles,... assault rifles and light machine guns.” Light weapons include “heavy machine guns,... portable antiaircraft guns, portable antitank guns,... and explosive devices” (Gildea). Each year this illegal trade occurs, the United States is losing billions of dollars, moving weapons into the hands of terrorist organizations or gangs, and these weapons are often used against our military personnel. This paper will discuss the process of acquiring export licenses, quantify the scope of SALW has on the U.S., identify key agencies, and provide suggestions on how to address this dangerous and costly problem.