I just saw some interesting numbers regarding the ownership of small firearms: Switzerland is 22nd in absolute numbers and 4th in guns/head. ¹
They cite a publication by the Institute of International Studies, Geneva (HEI). I’m assuming they’re talking about the Small Arms Survey. If you check the chapter 2 summary (PDF), you’ll see that Switzerland is indeed number four with 46 firearms per 100 people. (The USA is number one with 90 firearms per 100 people.) I find the numbers tricky to understand at a first glance, because the text talks about civilian firearms, but the graphic no longer mentions this distinction. When looking at the numbers, it is therefore important to remember that the SwissMilitaryService makes it possible for most able men to have an assault rifle at home (the SIG SG 550). I’d have to read the complete chapter... 🙂
Back to the report, however. There’s an incredible spread in published numbers, apparently: They vary between 1.2 million and 12 million guns. (There are 7 million people living in Switzerland.)
And we sell arms to nations violating human rights: Between 2002 and 2004 we sold guns to China worth USD 600’000, guns to Russia worth USD 340’000, guns to Indonesia, Israel, and Turkey worth USD 200’000, and smaller amounts to Guinea, Pakistan, and Serbia.
Oh, and let’s not forget the sad incident at the end of the second war in Iraq, where Switzerland was the first to pronounce hostilities over (faster than Bush!) – all because Switzerland is not allowed to sell arms to warring nations, and there was a big deal involving the USA. (Ironically, one of the few instances where arms dealers are interested in their clients being at peace...)
#Switzerland #USA
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I was surprised to learn that after the US, India has the largest (total) number of civilian small arms. As a per capita measure is it very low (4%, which I thought was), but 4% of a billion is second only to the United States.
– AlokSingh 2007-09-07 07:37 UTC