Lots of opinions in this article

US weapons sales overseas rose sharply last year, reaching a record total of $238bn (£187bn), as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stoked demand, reports the BBC.

In addition to child sex and drug trafficking at the border, the US is a big arms dealer, enriching highly influential US warmongering corporations.

The State Department reported that the US government directly negotiated $81bn in sales, a 56% increase from 2022.

Do you sense World War III coming?

The rest were direct sales by US defense companies to foreign nations.

Poland spent $12 billion on rocket systems, air-missile defense battle command systems, and Abrams tanks.

Meanwhile, Germany spent $8.5 billion on Chinook helicopters. Bulgaria paid $1.5bn for Stryker armored vehicles, and Norway bought $1 bn worth of multi-mission helicopters.

The Czech Republic bought $5.6 billion in F-35 jets and munitions.

When do arms sales become a signal of pro-war policies?

Allegedly, countries are not buying from Russia, hurting their sales.

“The Russian defense industry is failing and continues to fail,” Mira Resnick told Politico, adding that Russian weapons manufacturers are being “denied the resources that come from exports,” such as cash.

Do you think he’s right? I really don’t know the answer.

President Joe Biden’s administration has argued that American support to Ukraine boosts the domestic economy through arms sales.

Are we keeping track of where they go? Probably not.