Militarization in the United States and the Soviet Union: The Deepening Trends

Some current problems resulting from the militarization policies of the US & the USSR are discussed. Both nations are seen to waste productive human & material resources to accomplish a buildup of strategic & tactical weapons systems. Huge investments of up to 50% of the research & development budgets in military programs are argued to stagnate civilian productivity, while increasing inflation & contributing to unemployment. On a global scale, the behavior of the superpowers is at the root of global militarization, through the escalation of the arms trade & rivalry for spheres of influence. The impact on the economic & social structures of Third World countries is overwhelming. To reverse global militarization, strategies to address the structural factors, sociopolitical forces, technological momentum, perceptions, & military doctrines of the US & the USSR are proposed. R. McCarthy