{"id":184156,"date":"2021-05-17T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=184156"},"modified":"2021-05-15T03:19:01","modified_gmt":"2021-05-15T02:19:01","slug":"open-letter-to-jordi-calvo-quique-sanchez-and-the-gcoms-coordination-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2021\/05\/open-letter-to-jordi-calvo-quique-sanchez-and-the-gcoms-coordination-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Letter to Jordi Calvo & Quique S\u00e1nchez and the GCOMS Coordination Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

The message GCOMS (Global Campaign on Military Spending) <\/strong>gives to Governments across the world, urging them to reduce <\/strong>their military expenditure and to reallocate these resources to truly defend people and the planet<\/strong>, is actually provoking Governments to increase <\/strong>their military spending.<\/p>\n

The more endorsements the GCOMS campaign gathers, the more dangerous our world will become. This is so for a number of reasons:<\/p>\n

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  1. GCOMS accepts the existence of Armed Forces, the military industry and arms trade.<\/li>\n
  2. GCOMS wants Governments to truly defend <\/strong>people and the planet. ln most minds, defending people means protection using Armed Forces<\/strong>. Governments stage military parades to show their population how well defended they will be in case of war. If the parade shows a couple of tanks and few soldiers, the population is alarmed and fear they are not properly protected. If the parade includes 50 tanks, 1000 soldiers and marines, and 10 air-fighters flying over their heads at supersonic speed \u2013 the crowds cheer and are proud of their Armed Forces.<\/li>\n
  3. GCOMS seems to ignore the fact that education, housing, health and environment budgets are subject to available funds, whilst there are no limits to defense spending<\/strong>. If 100 ventilators for 100 COVID19 patients cost 1 million Euros but the Health budget allows for 80 ventilators only, 20 people will die. In contrary, if 2000 bombs and 1000 rockets cost 25 million Euros and the military budget for bombs and rockets is 15 million Euros, Governments will have no problem in finding, borrowing or printing the extra 10 million.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I very much appreciate the efforts made by GCOMS but I also know that your campaign will never create a better, fairer world. Money has no value, while human life is valuable<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Instead of pointing out to Governments how much they have spent on military purchases, GCOMS should give them other figures:-<\/p>\n