The Jewish Voice for Peace covers the story of how nine activists disrupted an arms manufacturer in Northern Ireland. When their case came to court the judge ruled it was not illegal to prevent killing.
Raytheon are said to have provided lethal weapons to the U.S. and Israel used for the killing and maiming of many civilians. Apart from demonstrating the activists disrupted the company’s computers.
The banned film “On the Verge” also showed how a group of determined people demonstrated against another manufacturer dealing in death in Brighton. It seems that reasons for not allowing the film to be shown are that it shows heavy-handed policing. Once again the courts took a different view and threw out the case brought by the police.
Blackwater and Haliburton are well-known names in the U.S. as part of the privatisation of war with no accountability to voters. Rather they have connections with powerful people in the U.S. including the Vice-President. Their shares have done extremely well in the context of an economy showing signs of deep trouble elsewhere. There are five Britons still held in Iraq. They are not part of the military but members of private firms carrying out missions. Little is heard about them. Raytheon clearly glories in its technical know-how. EDO Corporation lists itself as in the top ten of defense suppliers in the U.S. We need to know more about them and their connections to power bases in the U.K. and elsewhere. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) continues to dwell on British Aerospace.
These companies employ extensive state -of-the art technology. If they can do it for destructive purposes surely they can do it for peace. Time to beat swords into plough shares. Time for us to ensure our elected representatives give lucrative contracts out to save our planet instead of destroying it!