The Global Arms Industry and International Relations

1.Question: The documentary Shadow World explores how governments, their militaries and intelligence agencies, defense contractors, arms dealers and agents are intertwined with the global trade in weapons and how that trade foster corruption, determines economic and foreign policies, undermines democracy, and creates human suffering. Is the film’s point about the real costs of war, and the way the arms trade drives it, a legitimate refutation of the defense industry’s claim that they are in fact enhancing international security? Or are they actually creating a more dangerous international environment?