U.S. Accounts For 1/2 Of The World’s Arms Exports

In a recent article entitled “America: Arms Dealer to the World,” reporter William Astore wrote, “From 2006 to 2010, the U.S. accounted for nearly 1/3 of the world’s arms exports.” However, in 2010, Astore claimed that, in spite of a recessionary downswing, “The U.S. increased its market share to a whopping 53%.”

As the undisputed masters of war, America shipped weapons to 62 different countries. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, of the top 20 global weapons dealers, 16 are U.S. corporations. These include: (1) Lockheed Martin, (2) Boeing, (3) Northrop Grumman, (4) General Dynamics and (5) Raytheon.

 Rounding out, the biggest arms selling nations in the world include Russia, Germany, France, Britain and China. Taken together with the U.S., these countries supply more than 80% of total weaponry. When asked where the hottest spot on the globe is for this type of nefarious activity, Houston-based international defense attorney Frank A. Rubino replied: “Africa, because of all the warlords and private armies in countries such as Somalia who are always looking to acquire arms.” More...

Challenger - planned job cuts surged to a 16-month high in July

The number of planned job cuts surged to a 16-month high in July -- rising 60% in July to 66,414 from June's 41,432, according to outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The firm characterized it as a "sudden and unexpected burst" in downsizing.
Job killing companies

The data was hardly a surprise though, given a flurry of mass layoffs announced in the last few weeks by Cisco Systems, Merck & Co., Borders, Lockheed Martin and Boston Scientific. Those five companies alone accounted for 38,100 planned cuts in July.

"What may be most worrisome about the July surge is that the heaviest layoffs occurred in industries that, until now, have enjoyed relatively low job-cut levels, including pharmaceuticals, computer and retail," John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in a statement.

Employers have now announced a total of 312,220 planned job cuts this year -- down 8% from 339,353 cuts announced in the first seven months of 2010. More...