Legally permitted contributions to national and state political parties have been made from time to time in furtherance of the business interests of the Corporation. The aggregate amount contributed by the Corporation to national and state political parties is, however, not a material amount for financial reporting purposes. Text of Shareowner Proposal and Supporting Statement. The value of offsets frequently exceeds the weapons' cost. Indirect offsets may involve investments in the purchasing country, counter-trade agreements to market foreign goods, or transfers of commercial technology.
Offsets also lead to the loss of U.S. jobs.
However, purchasing countries often disclose such information for their own political purposes, e.g., to convince their citizens that they are gaining some tangible benefits from the millions or billions of dollars spent on arms. Sound public policy demands transparency and public debate on these matters. In 1999, two U.S. companies offered lucrative production-sharing contracts with Israeli military manufacturers, in connection with the company's bidding on a contract with Israel. The faith-based proponents submit this resolution for Board consideration because arms exports do not create jobs. Current weapons proliferation and the export of jobs and technology through offsets raise profound moral and ethical, as well as fiscal, questions that shareholders should address.