Here is a helpful graphic linked in the article:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/11/13/us_is_top_purveyor_on_weapons_sales_list/?page=fullHere is what I take from this:
Out of $25.4 Billion in total worldwide arms sales, the US leads by far, selling $11.6 Billion worldwide, which is 45.7% of that total.
And out of $17.7 Billion in sales just to developing countries, the US also leads overwhelmingly, selling $8.1 Billion of the total, which is 45.76%.
And a few more notable points:
The US sends
45.8% of all its arms sales to developing countries.
Next is Russia, sending
15% of all its arms sales to developing countries.
Next is the UK, sending
13% of all its arms sales to developing countries.
France, China, Germany, other European nations, and all other nations send
7% or less of their weapons sales to developing countries. (So, we can take this to mean that these countries sell most of their arms to
developed countries, which seems more likely that the majority of the weapons will be used for actual defense purposes.)
Italy sends
no weapons to developing countries.
So, as the rubber meets the road, the US is world leader in arms sales to countries that are undergoing wars, other turmoil, and engage in undemocratic and, at times, genocidal acts. This, people, is why many people in the world have intense hatred for what our government has done and is doing.