What are Defense Trade Controls?
Defense trade controls are in place right now, even though you might not realize it.
Playing By the Rules
Remember when you were younger and your parents had a set of rules for you to follow? Remember what happened when you didn’t follow these rules? What was it like when you were told that you didn’t follow the rules, when you clearly did? It would have been much easier to get the U.S. Department of State to draft the rules you need to follow so that you could easily see when you were screwing up – and then you could face the tribunal of your parents. The defense trade controls work sort of in the same way. Well, not really.
Controlling Defense with Laws
Each day, there are thousands of decisions which are made about the defense of this country. From the number of soldiers who need to be in certain areas to the number of weapons which need to be imported and exported, there are many defense decisions being made…that you simply don’t want to know more about. But there need to be controls in place to make sure these decisions and these actions are being made in support of the country’s safety, not just for the fun of arms dealers. (Wait, do they have fun?)
The Weapons Stop Here
The United States has come up with a set of rules regarding the transport, the sales, and the exportation of defensive solutions. From weapons to military units, in order to use the defense weapons the country has, the U.S. Department of State has to give the go ahead in accordance to the defense trade controls. We can’t just go off and run into the woods with guns and shoot everyone that’s around – no matter what it might have seemed like during Bush’s term. (Choose your Bush.)
With defense trade controls, there are limitations in place as to how defense can be used – or not used. By following a certain set of protocols, the defensive tools we have can be effectively distributed, used, and implemented as necessary for wars, terrorism, and other security issues.