Comments on: The Care and Feeding of the Permanent Arms Industry — Part 2

By: Iraq now, Iran next, Saudi Arabia for later

Iraq now, Iran next, Saudi Arabia for later — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:35:44 +0000

[...] Related post: The care and feeding of the permanent arms industry–part 2. [...]

By: Atanu Dey on India’s Development » The Dollar Auction Continues

Atanu Dey on India’s Development » The Dollar Auction Continues — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 04:49:03 +0000

[...] tries deserve their demolition and wash his hands of the whole sorry mess. And from “Part 2 of the Care and Feeding“: Before I am [...]

By: xcalibor

xcalibor — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:12:36 +0000

I dont think indians are so stupid enough to fall for this candy. for 50 years many countrys tried and failed to split india in to peases even china knows that true supiriority is in economics not arms. i belive pak fell for the us candys but indians past reaction to this us candys is allways been a big slap on the face.remember when indian parliment was attacked india build up its largest arm forces to loc but wht stoped it from going across the loc was economics.not politics. which is a good sign.

By: Atanu Dey on India’s Development » Different Standards for Different Folks

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:35:16 +0000

[...] eddling of weapons of mass destruction by the advanced industrialized countries. (See also the followup article.) Islamic terrorism ha [...]

By: jayabal

jayabal — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 13:13:20 +0000

Need Jobs

By: Anant Arora

Anant Arora — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

very well contrived, Atanu! I accord that we are no more than a bunch of creepy vermints who blindly follow the tenets and rituals of the ‘Father of the Inter-nation’ (read: GWB).

I wonder, how much do we spend on the maintenance and after-purchase costs of artilleries and is it useful to spend such behemothic amount of weapons?

By: kautilya

kautilya — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

F-16 costs approx $25 million per plane

By: Navin

Navin — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“The US has to sell something in exchange, doesnâ€™t it? Sell the poor bastards some F-16s in exchange for all the BPO jobs and other labor intensive stuff we buy from them, goes the refrain”

I would agree to this. As long we become self sufficient or atleast co-operate within ASEAN for high tech equipments like Medical equipments (now bought from GE etc), fighter planes, passenger planes etc, we are going to end up paying ridiculously massive amounts like this.

By: Myke

Myke — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Spending other people’s money must be great fun, especially when there are under-the-table incentives for doing so.

It appears that when a country imports jobs from the US, it must also buy US debt, war machines, and cigarettes. Is this Free Trade?

By: sudhir

sudhir — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

No substitute for self reliance in security matters, IMHO. Until we’re able to design and build our own advanced arms 9fighter jets, aircraft carriers, bofor-type heavy guns, main battle tanks etc) we’re better off picking up tech from the (admittedly imperfect) market. Remember, weakness always invites hyenas – whether of the Jihadi or the Chinese variety).

To its credit, the US, I must add, though is shouldering a disproportionate burden in terms of ensuring maritime security to the world’s sea trading routes, ensuring an ungrateful Europe’s security throughout the cold war and so on. (OK, so the motives weren’t all altruistic to start with). Taiwan, south korea and japan have at least paid hard currency for the US security umbrella. (And something tells me these countries would rather have a US security umbrella rather than a Chinese one!)

But I would agree that maybe F-16s aren’t really the way to go in building up security. I’d rather the govt spent that money on physical (Roads and powerplants) and institutional infrastructure (more courts and judges, more e-governance etc) instead.

By: Walker

Walker — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

While I agree with the general sentiment, there is a significant caveat in this case. It seems that much of the F-16 production may be done in India…

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1054192.cms

The technology transfer this represents could be highly beneficial to India and will carry over into non-defense industries as well. India’s goverment seems to be negotiating hard for technology transfers in this and other defense areas, for this perhaps it is due some credit.

By: Reuben

Reuben — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Atanu,
You haven’t mentioned the U.S. pressure on Pakistan to scuttle the India/Pakistan/Iran pipeline. In some ways, the pipeline would be a real guarantor of peace on the sub-continent when you consider how much Pakistan would lose in rights-of-way revenues if there was any conflict. So there’s a real economic incentive for everyone to keep the peace.

Now, you have the U.S. trying to scuttle the pipeline AND trying to sell both the Indians and Pakistanis the same weapons systems. Under the circumstances, their oft-repeated rhetoric of wanting stability on the sub-continent rings a bit hollow.

By: Rick

Rick — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It was depressing yesterday to read the news ’selling Arms to Pakistan and India’ to maintain the parity! It is outrageous! And atleast at one place, I raed ‘F16s to Pak so that can fight the war on terrorism better’! All this helps only the Arms dealers and politicians making money out of it – and big losers are the people of Pakistan and India who could have been much better of with the money spent on water, electricity, road, healthcare infrastructure.

By: Venkat Ramanan

Venkat Ramanan — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hey Atanu!
Is there any way to stop our netas and babus from buying F-XX’s from US? If yes, please let me know so that we will do it ASAP! When there are so many people who are dying without food and water in our country, what the heck is the need of these WMDs??? oh God, for a few Gandhian notes, our bull shit politicians will even sell human beings… WHEN WILL WE SEE A BETTER (RULED) COUNTRY??

By: vikas

vikas — Unknown, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

We are jumping the gun. US is just offering us F-16’s, nothing wrong in that. In the fray along with the F-16 are the Sukhois and Mirages. F-16, for whatever tech that US has, cannot compare with the prowess of a Su30MKI(specially made for India..I in MKI is Indiski or India), leave alone Sukhoi modern versions. Su30 is comparable to what US is developing now with all the thrust vectoring ideas et al. It only lacks in stealth. Yes, Russian and French might come second best in lobbying but the real purchaser is the Indian Air Force. I do not see a F16 winning in a fight against a Sukhoi 30MKI, ever. F16 wins only in price terms thats it. Roughly,

2 F-16’s = 1 Su30MKI.