Defense Trade Controls

Problems with Defense Trade Control

The problems with defense trade control can not be solved by Jack Bauer every time.

Corruption

If you watch a lot of TV (you know you do), you know that defense is a serious business. And since it’s something which can cause troubles for a government, there are a lot of other governments who might want to pay people to do something bad, like steal defensive codes, find information, and spy for an opposing country. One of the biggest problems with defense trade control is corruption. When people in the Department of Defense or in the U.S. Department of State are spying for someone else or are paid to do something they shouldn’t do, the controls in place might not be followed at all, leaving the country and its people in harm’s way.

Poor Management

Of course, the joke about government management can actually make itself (without needing three forms in triplicate), but it’s true. Poor management can cause troubles with the defense controls in place. When people aren’t doing their job, they are going to have troubles with managing their resources and the controls in place. Hopefully, a good person was hired for the job, but if not, then it’s time to fire them.

Misunderstandings

With all of the regulations surrounding defense trade controls, a new person can easily become confused about what to do. This can lead to misunderstanding, which can set off a chain reaction of events, resulting in other countries looking at the situation the wrong way. Then one country is mad at the other country, for what seems like an aggressive act. Truly, the process of controlling the defense of a country is no simple matter at all.

While defense trade controls are in place to protect us, there are many problems which can result from their use (or misuse, as it were). With superheroes like Jack Bauer, we’re safe – too bad it’s just a show. Or maybe Kiefer Sutherland is that good?