our Parabellum issues_ the states war on cash

The Cash Nexus: Money and Power

in the Modern World, 1700-2000 by Niall Ferguson

Money makes the world go around, Of that we can be sure. (....) on being poor.

(Cabaret, 2002)

Conventional wisdom has long claimed that economic change is the prime mover of political change, whether in the age of industry or Internet. But is it?

Ferguson thinks it is high time we re-examined the link-the nexus, in Thomas Carlyle's phrase-between economics and politics. His central argument is that the conflicting impulses of sex, violence, and power are together more powerful than money.

A bold synthesis of political history and modern economic theory, Cash Nexus will transform the landscape of modern history and draw challenging conclusions about the prospects of both capitalism and democracy.

Among Ferguson's startling claims are:

Nothing has done more to transform the world economy than war, yet wars themselves do not have primarily economic causes.

The present age of economic globalization is coinciding-paradoxically-with political and military fragmentation.

Financial crises are frequently caused by unforeseen political events rather than economic fluctuations.

The relationship between prosperity and government popularity is largely illusory.

Since political and economic liberalization are not self-perpetuating, the so-called triumph of democracy worldwide may be short-lived.

TO read about the topic

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/958202/worlds-biggest-military-spenders

FACTS AND FIGURES

Parabellum issues_ the states war on cash

1. ORAL task -groups (2-3)

War expenditures 2007-16

GDP = global gross domestic (= PIB!)

World military expenditure is estimated to have been ...

$1686 billion in 2016,
equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the GDP or
to make sense of the figures $6 per person.

After 10 consecutive years (from 2007 to 2016), world military spending has continued to upsurge with a minor plateau and slight increases in 2015 and 2016.

The top 15 countries with the highest military spending in 2016 were the same as those in 2015, although there were some changes in their ranking.
The 15 largest spenders account for

the staggering sum of $1360 billion, or

just above four fifths of total global spending.

Between 2007 and 2016, China has seen the biggest growth in military spending, with an increase of more than doubled it, followed by Russia which didn't double it and India with just a 50%. In the European NATO states, there are foru countries in the middle of the table. France, the top military spender and the sixth in the world, spend 55 billion dollars followed by the UK and close by Germany and also Italy (ninth position with half of French budget). Germany raised its military spending by just the 7 per cent to 41 billion dollars in 2016 (the hishest in this group) with a GDP of 1.2 per capita, half the level of France.

In the same period, two European countries shrank Italy (one in sixth), the United Kingdom (one in seventh) and surprisingly the United States with half a minor variation were the only three countries in the top 15 to see their military expenditure fall.

In 2016, total US military expenditure of past $600 billion is over one-third of world military expenditure. This is nearly three times the level of China’s spending, which is ranked second. US military spending grew slightly by a mere 1.7 per cent between 2015 and 2016. Despite this slight growth, US military spending remains 20 per cent lower than its peak in 2010.

DRAW CONCLUSIONS:

The small /large upturn in 2016 can be attributed to ......

legislation --- budget limits --- Global events??
context of the presidential election ??
inability of the Government to reach agreement ??
......

2. Reading task

PART II.

SIPRI FACTS AND FIGURES

The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database contains consistent time series on the military spending of countries for the period 1949–2016.Military expenditure in local currency at current prices is presented according to both the financial year of each country and according to calendar year, calculated on the assumption that, where financial years do not correspond to calendar years, spending is distributed evenly through the year. Figures in constant (2015) and current US $, as a share of GDP and per capita are presented according to calendar year. Figures as a share of government expenditure are presented according to financial year.