Ethical Arms Trade Anyone?

Following the row over lifting the Arms embargo to China and the scandalous sale of chemical weapons by Spain to the Fascist Strongman Chavez, the EU is planning to bring in – Wait for it – Yes regulations.

At a weekend EU meeting in Luxembourg, Michel Barnier, France's foreign minister, said he could agree to proposals to give legal force to the EU's code of conduct on arms sales.

Yes that is France agreeing. Shocking isn’t it. Of course there could always be an ulterior motive.

"We will continue to work for a lifting of the embargo," Mr Barnier said, adding that such a move was "desirable and realistic".

The French wish to remove much of their opponent’s criticisms so as to get agreement on a lifting of the ban. A legal framework would enable them to argue that their European Partners have an effective veto over unsuitable weapons sales. I’m sure it will make no difference to the security of the people of Taiwan, because in the end, European made weapons are going to be pointing at them from their Nationalistic Bullying neighbour. No legal framework is going to stop that from happening.