Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

2022 Arms Sales Risk Index

by July 18, 2023
July 18, 2023

Jordan Cohen

To promote debate and help improve U.S. decision‐​making about arms sales, we created the Arms Sales Risk Index, now in its fifth year. By measuring the factors linked to negative outcomes of arms sales, such as dispersion, diversion, and the misuse of weapons by recipients, the index provides a way to assess the risk involved with selling arms to another nation. Specifically, we examine the risk of U.S. weapons being used in ways that are against U.S. interests and desires. The index scores a country’s risk score on a scale of 1 to 100, with 1 being the lowest risk and 100 the highest risk.

Though this sort of assessment is by no means an exact science, and we focus here only on the potential downsides of sales, the Arms Sales Risk Index can help policymakers consider the dangers of U.S. arms sales policy more rigorously and make better decisions about which nations should and should not receive U.S. weapons.

This year’s report has three findings.

First, we do find that the Biden administration is generally selling more weapons to less risky partners and has a lower average customer risk score than Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump.

Nonetheless, the Biden administration is still selling to risky clients. For example:

Saudi Arabia (risk score of 73, over $3.4 billion in weapons received since 2021);
India (risk score of 57, over $1.15 billion in weapons received since 2021);
United Arab Emirates (risk score of 57, over $1.14 billion in weapons received since 2021);
Turkey (risk score of 74, over $728 million in weapons received since 2021);
Egypt (risk score of 73, over $368 million in weapons received since 2021);
Pakistan (risk score of 69, over $324 million in weapons received since 2021);
Colombia (risk score of 55, over $252 million in weapons received since 2021); and
Afghanistan (risk score of 92, over $122 million in weapons received since 2021)

Second, we find little evidence that selling more American‐​made weapons to a country correlates with a decrease in that nation’s risk score over time. In fact, only one country (Kuwait) in the top‐​quintile of purchasers has left a conflict in the last five years. Moreover, when it comes to corruption, human rights abuses, and authoritarianism, the biggest weapons purchasers are getting riskier.

Third, we respond to one of the most common arguments in favor of arms sales: that these sales produce leverage over recipients. We show that arms sales do not produce much leverage and that the risks of reverse leverage—recipient nations influencing American behavior—are underappreciated. Through the risk data and case studies of Saudi Arabia, India, and Afghanistan, we find that, if anything, the recipient has leverage over the United States.

Finally, it is important to note two things that this index does not cover. The index does not predict or include the potential for a new conflict. For example, while the risk of war between China and Taiwan exists, there is no way to quantify this risk.

Additionally, while Ukraine has received substantial amounts of U.S. weapons, these primarily come from various forms of security assistance and are not foreign military sales. Thus, while the risks of Ukraine obtaining U.S. weapons may be similar, this index does not study weapons given through anything other than foreign military sales and direct commercial sales.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Dems warn of 30-foot sea level rise without action on climate, call for ‘recovery plan’
next post
American Compass Dystopia: Finance’s “Disproportionate Share” Of Profits

You may also like

Americans Say the Federal Government Wastes 59 Cents...

April 10, 2025

State Tax Cuts: Cheers and Jeers

August 23, 2024

An Encouraging Report on Overdose Deaths

September 18, 2024

Top Tax Rates Are Already on Wrong Side...

April 24, 2024

Friday Feature: MCP Academy

May 9, 2025

Happy Yeltsin Supermarket Day!

September 16, 2024

Is Our Credit Card System Broken?

March 19, 2024

IVF Critics’ Claims Don’t Hold Up under Scrutiny

June 13, 2024

U.S. Citizens Were 89% of Convicted Fentanyl Traffickers...

August 23, 2023

Large-Scale Food Stamp Fraud

May 30, 2025

Americans Say the Federal Government Wastes 59 Cents...

April 10, 2025

State Tax Cuts: Cheers and Jeers

August 23, 2024

An Encouraging Report on Overdose Deaths

September 18, 2024

Top Tax Rates Are Already on Wrong Side...

April 24, 2024

Friday Feature: MCP Academy

May 9, 2025

Happy Yeltsin Supermarket Day!

September 16, 2024

Is Our Credit Card System Broken?

March 19, 2024

IVF Critics’ Claims Don’t Hold Up under Scrutiny

June 13, 2024

U.S. Citizens Were 89% of Convicted Fentanyl Traffickers...

August 23, 2023

Large-Scale Food Stamp Fraud

May 30, 2025

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Iran regime escalates repression toward ‘North Korea-style model of isolation and control’

      July 4, 2025
    • UK revealed as Europe’s worst country for commuters in new ranking

      July 4, 2025
    • This July 4th, a family waits: American hostage’s father pleads for son’s freedom from Hamas terrorists

      July 4, 2025
    • $88m methane-tracking satellite lost in space, dealing major blow to climate monitoring

      July 4, 2025
    • New US visa rules will force foreign students to unlock social media profiles

      July 4, 2025
    • The real Formula 1: British Grand Prix highlights UK’s £16bn motorsport economy

      July 4, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,393)
    • Investing (2,102)
    • Politics (15,945)
    • Stocks (3,189)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved