Despite the fact that arms manufacturing in most Western nations ultimately represents vast fortunes of public funds flowing into private coffers for products that deal in injury or death, the industry is usually represented as a source of national pride. So pervasive is its influence that when it comes to matters of spending on arms, the tail often wags the dog, with the requirements of the industry being put before effective strategy.

In this special issue of the New Internationalist magazine you'll find out why the arms industry tends to have the government's ear.

The corrupt networks of arms deals

Corruption is at the core of the arms trade, according to former South African politician Andrew Feinstein, who had to sacrifice his career to fight it.

Rise of the drones

Raining death from the skies, drones reduce human lives to pixels on a computer screen. Many are now beginning to believe that by removing one of the key restraints to warfare - the risk to one's own forces - remotelycontrolled systems will make war much more likely in the future.

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Letter from Cairo

Maria Golia's "Letter from Cairo" is a much-loved regular feature in the New Internationalist magazine. Through her colourful personal stories you'll gain a real insight into life and culture in the new Egypt.

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Read previous New Internationalist articles on the Arms Trade
In the meantime you can read previous New Internationalist articles that illustrate clearly why control of the arms trade is such an important piece of the global justice puzzle.