FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – Pax Christi USA joined with 39 think-tanks, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and advocacy groups based in the United States in a statement released today finding the exorbitant amount of money spent on militaries worldwide to be “an irresponsible and harmful use of global wealth”.
The Global Military Expenditures Report released today shows that in 2019, countries spent $1.917 trillion on militaries.
“As U.S-based organizations, we are especially critical of the huge share spent by the United States, which accounted for 38% of military spending around the world in 2019,” the statement reads. “This is not just a U.S. issue, however, and we join organizations from Spain to New Zealand who are speaking out in response to this report.”
In light of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had in the United States, the disparity between the investment in weapons and the investment in healthcare is especially glaring.
“The devastating impact of this $1.917 trillion in military spending has become painfully clear in the United States as we struggle to keep pace with the healthcare needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Had our government chosen to invest in hospitals, production of life-saving medical devices, and the training of medical professionals across the country in 2019, our health system would be better prepared to face the current threat to our safety,” the statement reads.
“This is the case year-in and year-out,” stated Johnny Zokovitch, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA. “The ungodly amount of money the United States invests in weapons of war achieves just the opposite of the ‘security’ its proponents tout. Communities around the world are less safe, our economies are more fragile, and the environment continues to worsen when we invest in military solutions instead of strategies aimed at addressing economic and social injustice.”
Read the entire statement at this link.
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Contact Johnny Zokovitch: jzokovitch@paxchristiusa.org for more information.