Bill Sykes' Newsletter from America.
(Christmas 2003)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
One man’s suggestion for a Brave New World!!!
Christmas time - what a terrible time to discuss
the subject of a world gone mad, where acts of violence
are committed on a daily basis resulting in the deaths
of millions of human beings worldwide. But there again,
is there ever a good time to discus violence and death
as practiced in today’s world.
I feel so strongly about man’s inhumanity to man
that I suggest the time has come for someone, even a lowly
mortal such as myself, to speak my piece in the hope that
someone out their will hear my plea, and have the power
and authority to do something about the situation. (which
is hardly likely).
So I expect that the question from the reader will be,
"How?" But before I answer that, there is the
more important question of, "Why?"
First things first.
We create our own death and destruction problems
by the design, production, and distribution of weapons
worldwide, knowing full well that violent and deadly wars
are the end product of the proliferation of these weapons.
Have you watched recent TV programs showing the thugs
of many nations, armed to the teeth waving rifles and
machine guns about as they roam the city streets and the
countryside killing innocent civilians? That’s only
the small stuff.
Now we come to the larger items of mass destruction
that are on the open world markets, aircraft, helicopters,
rockets, missiles, mortars, tanks, armoured fighting vehicles,
plastic explosives, nuclear, biological and chemical agents
- do I need to go any further?
The challenge currently facing this world is to stop the
trafficking in weapons by the many countries who make
large profits from the sale of these weapons, which in
many cases are going to corrupt governments where they
eventually find there way to terrorist organizations.
After stopping the proliferation of weapons, (even if
that is possible), the next task would be to take away
those weapons that are in the hands of people worldwide
by whatever means available. It would be cheaper to get
the weapons out of the hands of potential killers by granting
amnesty, or long term imprisonment of illegal holders
of such weapons, and even buying back and destroying such
weapons, than spending billions of dollars and countless
lives in fighting wars.
The manufacture and distribution of weapons, whether
they be rifles, machine guns, mortars, grenades, land
mines, or the larger weapons of mass destruction, is a
lucrative business and even the very suggestion of closing
down the arms factories would start a political furore
that would reverberate around the world.
Apparently the manufacturers don’t even consider,
or give a damn for the loss of human life, or the people
being killed and maimed by the weapons they produce. The
arguments that come from the weapon’s manufacturers,
with respect to the provision of weapons of mass destruction,
is that they are produced and made available to protect
the security of nations.
The arguments of certain civilian gun owners, with respect
to the purchase and possession of small arms, is that
the people need such weapons in order to protect and defend
themselves and their families from armed criminal elements.
Hunting rifles maybe acceptable, but Saturday night special
hand guns, never. Predominantly, it’s people with
guns who kill people, no matter what other sources say.
Would you believe that it has been proven that some so-called
gun collectors have stashed away on their property, heavy
calibre machine guns with large quantities of ammunition,
rockets, mortars, grenades and all kinds of heavy weaponry
in quantities large enough to start their own wars?
So why are the weapons being sold, (or in some cases
provided cost free to certain countries for political
reasons), to nations who then use them to kill not only
their enemies but in many cases their own people - the
answer is that it is a very highly profitable business
to be in. Even after World War Two, one of the first businesses
to receive reparations from the Allies was the Krupp’s
munitions consortium.
We welcome feedback about any of the contents of these
newsletters. Please send all correspondence to bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
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