For many of these countries, not having an army is a source of national pride, and it has even helped some assume roles as international peacemakers. Costa Rica, for example, is home to the headquarters of the United Nations University for Peace, and Iceland, through its Crisis Response Unit, participates in peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Palestine. Not having an army also frees up a significant percentage of the national budget that can be allocated to other public sectors, such as health and education. While defense spending consumes 3.8 percent of the United States GDP and 4.1 percent of Russias, its a flat zero percent for Costa Rica and Panama. And even if you factor in other security forces, such as border patrols, coast guards and air surveillance, Costa Rica spends less than .05 percent of its GDP a year on security. (Laura Secorun Palet, NPR June 21, 201411:14 AM ET)
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 16:30:01 +0000
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