A same-sex attraction for soldiers and sailors spans the globe and predates the term “homosexual” by several thousand years. But these days “military chasers” are likely to be seen as doubly incorrect. Most are gay men who pursue straight men. And, many of them do it in public. What continues to motivate so many men to brave arrest, violence, and the scorn of gay leaders who condemn any non-gay homosexual desire as “internalized homophobia”?In Military Trade (now updated to include an expanded photo insert!), Steven Zeeland, author of Sailors and Sexual Identity, The Masculine Marine, and Barrack Buddies and Soldier Lovers, brings together an edgy, enlightening, and richly entertaining collection of voices with a passion for servicemen, including: a TV talk-show host who pimped Marines to Hollywood stars a heavy metal superstar who dreams of being reincarnated as a Marine boot a women “trapped in a gay man’s body” who seduces Marines online then dominates them in person with strap-on dildos a former Force Recon Marine who complains of being chased by civilians but is now a Marine-chaser himself By turns steamy, hilarious, appalling, and deeply moving, Military Trade challenges assumptions about both chaser and chased and poses pointed questions about the wisdom of those who seek to divide the world into “straight” and “gay.” The interviews and essays collected in this book suggest that, paradoxically, for many men the advances of the gay rights movement have actually made it more difficult to form affectional bonds with other men. Gay sex has never been more openly advertised. But the military love of comrades is something that gay life can’t offer. Military Trade offers groundbreaking insight into: the difference between “military chasers” and uniform fetishists why gay men prefer sailors and Marines over soldiers and airmen the surprising range of sexual, “buddy,” and even love relationships “chasers” form with servicemen the nuances of “trade” and civil-military male prostitution what has been overlooked in the “sex panic” debate about men who have sex in public places For anyone interested in queer theory, the construction of masculinity, or sex between men outside of gay urban culture--and for anyone who has ever thrilled at the sight of a man in uniform--Military Trade is must reading.

Wherever international commerce flows in world politics, military power often flows with it - sometimes as a protector of commerce, sometimes as its promoters and sometimes as a tool of aggression against it. How are military power and international trade related? Do military power and commerce expand together or does military power decline as commerce (and perhaps interdependence) increases? Does this relationship vary across countries and, if so how? Power, Conflict and Trade is a study of the relationship between military power and international commerce among the Great Powers prior to World War I. After building an argument for a direct relationship between military power and commerce - one grounded in a mercantilist view of state power- and exploring their numerous connections, the book estimates models of the relationship among the Great Powers and explores a great deal of their commercial and military data, all of which is situated in the context of their mutual rivalries. Another question investigated is whether the peacetime conflicts and rivalries of the Great Powers affected their trade relations adversely. There is strong support for the argument that military power and commerce move together in world politics, though there is evidence for an inverse relationship as well.

Intro -- Foreword -- Contents -- Editors and Contributors -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Compliance and Integrity in International Military Trade (CIIMT) Master Programme -- 1.2.1 Focus of the MSc Programme on CIIMT -- 1.2.2 Learning Styles and Structure of the MSc Programme on CIIMT -- 1.3 Outline of NL ARMS 2021 -- References -- 2 Economics of Arms Trade: What Do We Know? -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Research Methodology -- 2.2.1 Scope -- 2.2.2 Selection -- 2.2.3 Research Synthesis -- 2.3 Weapons of Mass Destruction -- 2.3.1 Spreading Temptation: Proliferation and Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreements -- 2.3.2 Almost Nuclear: Introducing the Nuclear Latency Dataset -- 2.3.3 Research on Weapons of Mass Destruction: What Do We Know? -- 2.4 Major Weapon Systems -- 2.4.1 The Gravity of Arms -- 2.4.2 Arming the Embargoed -- 2.4.3 Arms Production, National Defence Spending and Arms Trade -- 2.4.4 Trading Arms and the Demand for Military Expenditure -- 2.4.5 Arm Your Friends and Save on Defence? -- 2.4.6 Network Interdependencies and the Evolution of the International Arms Trade -- 2.4.7 Research into Major Weapon Systems: What Do We Know? -- 2.5 Small Arms and Light Weapons -- 2.5.1 Weaponomics, the Economics of Small Arms -- 2.5.2 Research into Small Arms and Light Weapons: What Do We Know? -- 2.6 Dual-Use Goods -- 2.6.1 Exporting Weapons of Mass Destruction? -- 2.6.2 Taking a Walk on the Supply Side: The Determinants of Civil Nuclear Cooperation -- 2.6.3 Research into Dual-Use Goods: What Do We Know? -- 2.7 Analysis -- 2.8 Conclusion: An Agenda for Research -- References -- 3 Export Control Regimes-Present-Day Challenges and Opportunities -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Export Control Regimes -- 3.2.1 The Coordinating Committee for the Multilateral Export Controls -- 3.2.2 Regimes and Treaties -- 3.2.3 Characteristics Regimes.

The Gulf is in the first rank of potential global flashpoints. It is the largest market for weapons imports in the world, and is considered to be a vital interest of all the great powers. Iran is viewed as an expansionist threat by the Arab states of the Gulf, who have built considerable militaries in a historically short timeframe. Security in the Gulf, however, is a complicated matter. The Arab states of the Gulf have pursued different defense policies as well as different ways of building up their forces. In some instances, the establishment of a strong military is not just a way to ensure security, but also a way to build a national identity. In other cases, great powers (such as the United States) seek to promote cooperation between the Arab Gulf militaries as an interim step to promote political reform and integration. The essays in this volume examine a broad range of issues in Gulf security. Security is a complex and subjective matter--the various perspectives in this volume combine to form a holistic view of a challenging and evolving topic.

This book analyses the structure and motive forces that shape the global arms transfer and production system.

The Shadow World presents the behind-the-scenes tale of the global arms trade, exposing in forensic detail the deadly collusion that too often exists among senior politicians, weapons manufacturers, felonious arms dealers, and the military--a situation that compromises our security and undermines our democracy. Now a major PBS documentary "An authoritative guide to the business of war. Chilling, heartbreaking, and enraging."--Arundhati Roy Andrew Feinstein reveals the cover-ups behind a range of weapons deals, from the largest in history--between the British and Saudi governments---to the guns-for-diamonds deals in Africa and the current $60 billion U.S. weapons contract with Saudi Arabia. Based on pathbreaking reporting and unprecedented access to top-secret information, The Shadow World takes us into a clandestine realm that is as vitally important as it is shocking.

For this study, a group of Russian authors were commissioned to describe and assess the arms trade policies and practices of Russia under new domestic and international conditions. The contributors, drawn from the government, industry, and academic communities, offer a wide range of reports on the political, military, economic, and industrial implications of Russian arms transfers, as well as specific case studies of key bilateral arms transfer relationships.

Impending technological advances will widen an adversary’s attack plane over the next decade. Visualizing what the future will hold, and what new threat vectors could emerge, is a task that traditional planning mechanisms struggle to accomplish given the wide range of potential issues. Understanding and preparing for the future operating environment is the basis of an analytical method known as Threatcasting. It is a method that gives researchers a structured way to envision and plan for risks ten years in the future. Threatcasting uses input from social science, technical research, cultural history, economics, trends, expert interviews, and even a little science fiction to recognize future threats and design potential futures. During this human-centric process, participants brainstorm what actions can be taken to identify, track, disrupt, mitigate, and recover from the possible threats. Specifically, groups explore how to transform the future they desire into reality while avoiding an undesired future. The Threatcasting method also exposes what events could happen that indicate the progression toward an increasingly possible threat landscape. This book begins with an overview of the Threatcasting method with examples and case studies to enhance the academic foundation. Along with end-of-chapter exercises to enhance the reader’s understanding of the concepts, there is also a full project where the reader can conduct a mock Threatcasting on the topic of “the next biological public health crisis.” The second half of the book is designed as a practitioner’s handbook. It has three separate chapters (based on the general size of the Threatcasting group) that walk the reader through how to apply the knowledge from Part I to conduct an actual Threatcasting activity. This book will be useful for a wide audience (from student to practitioner) and will hopefully promote new dialogues across communities and novel developments in the area.

An official, up-to-date government manual that covers everything from VA life insurance to survivor benefits. Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of benefits and services provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you’re looking for information on these benefits and services, look no further than the newest edition of Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors. The VA operates the nation’s largest health-care system, with more than 1,700 care sites available across the country. These sites include hospitals, community clinics, readjustment counseling centers, and more. In this book, those who have honorably served in the active military, naval, or air service will learn about the services offered at these sites, basic eligibility for health care, and more. Helpful topics described in depth throughout these pages for veterans, their dependents, and their survivors include: Vocational rehabilitation and employment VA pensions Home loan guaranty Burial and memorial benefits Transition assistance Dependents and survivors health care and benefits Military medals and records And more