Market
and optimal allowance
of resources at the world level?
By
Yves
Contamine
World
Global Trends,
Québec, Canada
April 9, 2002
Some facts
:
306
billionaires totaling $1.300 billion in wealth.
1.3
billion people - live on incomes of less than $1 a
day.
The world
spent on its military sector in the three decades
from 1960 to 1990 $21,000 billion.
Total world
military expenditure has been rising again since
1998. Total world military expenditure in 2000 amounted
to about $798 billion, in current dollars.
2002: Pentagon
will devour some $379 billion.
Arms
transfers USA 50%, followed by Russia, France, the UK
and Germany.
US
chemical weapons incineration program $15 billion
(1).
Space
station $60 billion.
Agricultural subsidies in the developed industrial
member states of the OECD total $300 billion a year.
U.S.
pet food industry: $11 billion per year.
USA
adult entertainment industry:$10 billion.
Largest population
of overweight adults: United States = 61% of adult
U.S. population.
USA dieters
currently spend an average of $30 billion annually on
products that promise to remove them from that overweight
category.
Biggest selling
drugs: antiulcerants (antacids, for indigestion) =
$15.8 billion.
Highest carbon
emissions: United States = 24% of world total.
Leading cigarette exporter: United States (21% of
world exports)
Leading petroleum
user: United States = 26% of world supply]
ODA
for Sub-Sahara $9.5 billion.
Niger:
revenues: $0.2 billion.
By 1998, the heavily indebted poor countries had
international debts of $214 billion equal to only
4.5 months of western military spending.
US ODA
for Sub-Sahara $0.8 billion.
A survey
of 1,233 drugs that reached market between 1975 and 1997
found that only 13 were approved specifically for
tropical diseases.
©
TFF and the
author
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