UK uses loophole to arm dictators

Memnoch

http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/conspiracy_theory/fullstory.asp?id=69

i don't understand why its classified as a conspiracy theory as all the evidence provided is factual and accepted.. basically the jist of the story is...

There are certain countries in the world to which it is illegal to sell weapons, eg China and other oppressive regimes throughout the world...

however the UK government pass a law which created a "Loophole" to allow arms manufacturers in the UK to continue to sell them.

Basically they can sell weapon components but not weapons.
So now these regimes can happily buy weapons from UK arms manufacturers, DESPITE UN arms embargo's, they just buy the parts and get someone to assemble them in their country...

Blair for freedom and democracy, the champions and pillars against dictators and oppressors accross the world, we salute you!

Zaphod B

Actually I can see why it's classified as a conspiracy theory...

The politicians know they can do what they like, and the public does not object too strongly as long as they have food in their bellies and good shows on TV. This is how democracy works.

The US and UK actively support dangerous regimes and terrorists. Instability is good for the arms trade, their number-one industry. Sometimes, when it suits them, they attack their old customers and declare it a noble cause.

Basically they portray the British govt as being Satan's little helpers and accuse them of deliberately causing instability in order to further the arms trade. Which is a conspiracy theory no two ways about it.

Having said that, arms dealers will always sell arms to whoever wants them, regardless of whether they're friendly democracies, repressive dictatorships or Adolf Hitler himself resurrected by Satan for a laugh. The British government, while not actually run by evil alien lizards in disguise, will do little to stop them because at the end of the day it's an industry and we know how much the government loves big business - you really don't need to be a raving communist to believe that. Of course it also helps arm their enemies' enemies, (though you can almost guarantee their enemies' enemies will become their enemies before long :rolleyes:)

Basically the way in which the story marked itself as a conspiracy theory was to take a few basic truths, I.E. the US and UK governments will support unpleasant regimes when it suits them, but rather than suggest this is due to those governments being short-termist and careless, it suggests it's all part of a big plot to sell more guns.