Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Biggest Threat to World Peace

Gallup has done a global poll that shows the United States is considered the biggest threat to world peace. Predictably, conservatives are outraged, blaming all those countries they believe the US is at war with for rigging the poll. Objectively (as objective as I can be), how should the nations rank.

1. United States
Largest (with Russia) nuclear arsenal.
Largest military budget, a whopping 39% of the global total.
Second (to China) largest armed forces.
Over 700 military bases worldwide; military personnel stationed in 156 countries.
Directly attacked citizens in several sovereign nations in 2013 including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somali, Pakistan, and Libya.
Aids the militaries of scores of other nations in either confronting their neighbors or imposing force upon their own citizens.
Along with North Korea, is the only nation with politicians openly longing for nuclear war.

2. North Korea
Has a handful of nuclear weapons, about 10.
Openly belligerent toward her neighbors.
Has a huge military, fourth largest. Over 6% of the population is in the military; add in reserves and the number grows to 40%. Their military consumes a quarter of North Korea's GDP.
The political leadership is both paranoid and insane.

3. Pakistan
Over 100 nukes.
Home to thousands of al-Qaeda militants.
Has a hate-hate relationship with her southern neighbor, India.

4.  India
The other half of the sub-continent power keg. It is commonly believed if nuclear war happens it will happen between these two countries.
Has periodic skirmishes with Pakistan over disputed Kashmir.
Over 100 nukes.
Third largest army in the world.

5. China
Largest military, over 2 million men at arms.
Has multiple territorial disputes with neighbors including India, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bhutan, and the Philippines (in the South China Sea).
Has, probably, over 400 nukes.
As its economic power increases, China is beginning to project more militarily. 

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