“Democracy entails a correlation between the public interest as expressed by a majority of the population and the governmental policies that affect them. The term encompasses various manifestations, including direct, participatory and representative democracy, but Governments must be responsive to people and not to special interests such as the military-industrial complex, financial bankers and transnational corporations. Democracy is inclusive and does not privilege an anthropological aristocracy.” PeopleDoeGovernmentTermInterestDemocracySpecialMilitaryPolicyDirectMajorityComplexesIncludingFinancialPrivilegePopulationVariousCorporationsManifestationRepresentativesBankersAristocracySpecial InterestsCorrelationPublic InterestMilitary Industrial ComplexTransnational Corporations Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“A ten per cent reduction in military expenditures per year would be reasonable, coupled with a programme of retraining the workforce and redirecting the resources in a manner that creates employment and advances social welfare. I also encourage all States to contribute to the UN's annual Report on Military Expenditures by submitting complete data on national defence budgets.” YearsStatesWould BeSocialMilitaryTenResourcesEmploymentDataBudgetsWelfareReasonableReportsCentsDefenceReductionProgrammesAnnualsWorkforceExpendituresSocial WelfareAll StateAnnual Reports Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“The war industries in many countries and the enormous trade in weapons of all kinds generate corruption and fuel conflict throughout the world. The existence of an immensely powerful military-industrial complex constitutes a danger to democracy, both internationally and domestically, because it follows its own logic and operates independently of popular participation.” WorldKindWarCountryPowerfulExistenceDemocracyMilitaryDangerIndustryConflictWeaponsLogicTradeComplexesCorruptionEnormousAll KindsFuelParticipationMilitary Industrial Complex Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“Every democracy must involve civil society in the process of establishing budgets, and all sectors of society must be consulted to determine what the real priorities of the population are. Lobbies, including military contractors and other representatives of the military-industrial complex, must not be allowed to hijack these priorities to the detriment of the population's real needs.” NeedsRealProcessDemocracyMilitaryComplexesIncludingPopulationDeterminePrioritiesBudgetsRepresentativesCivil SocietyMilitary Industrial ComplexContractor Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“Global military spending levels constitute an unconscionable use of resources and remain at an all-time high, reaching a total of USD 1.75 trillion in 2012, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.” UseLevelsMilitaryResearchResourcesInternationalSpendingAll TimeReachingInstituteInternational PeaceStockholmMilitary Spending Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“I urge Governments to considerably reduce funds allocated to the military, not only as a disarmament issue, but also as a potential contributor to social and environmental protection and call for the holding of referenda on this issue worldwide.” GovernmentSocialIssuesMilitaryEnvironmentalProtectionUrgesFundDisarmamentEnvironmental ProtectionContributors Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
