The World Today Is A Safer Place Than It Was A Hundred Years Ago, And Government Should Stop Spending Large Amount Of Money On Their Armed Forces | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

The world today is a safer place than it was a hundred years ago, and government should stop spending large amount of money on their armed forces. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 9 IELTS essay sample

Now that there have been no major wars in the last 60 or 70 years, some people argue that the governments should stop spending huge amounts of money on their military. I do not quite agree with this view. While I do admit that major wars are unlikely in the coming years, in my opinion, there is still a need to spend on armed forces.

One of the main factors that contributed to maintaining world peace in the last few decades was the fear of the consequences of another world war. Now all major powers in the world possess weapons of mass destruction that have the power to eliminate all forms of life from the surface of earth. Nuclear weapons are one of them. Several nations already possess them and those who do not have them are trying to acquire them. They are so destructive that nations are afraid of the possibility of them being used in wars. Hence, they resist the temptation to go to another war. However, in order to create this deterrent, it is still necessary to invest in the defense forces. Actually, nations that do not have a powerful military are considered weak. They have no real say in international affairs and they are easy targets of ambitious neighbours and terrorist groups. And when problems arise, they have to seek the help of powerful countries like the US. Unfortunately, this always comes at a price because no nation will help another nation just for the sake of it.

Countries that do not enjoy friendly relations with their neighbours also need to maintain a powerful military. India, for example, has strained relations with her neighbours China and Pakistan. Needless to say, India is one of the biggest spenders on arms and military. The country is spending a lot on defense and amassing weapons. Israel likewise spends a lot on military because of its conflicts with Palestine. Nations that want to control the world also maintain powerful militaries. America and China are good examples of them.

In short, while it is very unlikely for another major war to break out in the coming decades or centuries, I do not expect nations to reduce their spending on armed forces because in order to maintain peace and security within the country it is essential to build a powerful deterrent and investing in military is by far the most effective way to achieve it.