Selling weapons to oppressive and aggressive states

What is it about?

Democratic states often supply weapons to governments run by individuals who are widely regarded as tyrants and war criminals. This practice is obviously very controversial and is frequently condemned by activists and journalists. This article considers one argument that might be used to defend the practice under certain conditions. This argument notes that arms transfers may sometimes enable oppressive and aggressive regimes to fend-off even more oppressive rivals. The article suggests that this argument could vindicate arms transfers to oppressive and aggressive regimes under certain conditions, but it also demonstrates that the relevant conditions are exceptional, and rarely arise. This means that democratic states will hardly ever be able to appeal to this argument in order to justify their actions.

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Why is it important?

The arms trade is a matter of life and death. Our governments regularly supply weapons that critics argue are used to kill and maim innocent people. For example, the British government has recently been heavily criticized for supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia during the war in Yemen. Subjecting the arms trade to moral scrutiny is therefore of the utmost importance, but it is a task that has strangely been neglected by moral and political philosophers.