November 11, 2009

90 candles, 100 million AK's

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian creator of the AK-47 turned 90 on Tuesday. Touted as “a truly legendary person” by the Kremlin, Kalashnikov’s birthday was widely celebrated with the enthusiasm of a national holiday. Though Kalashnikov was awarded Russia’s highest honor, the “Hero of Russia” designation, it seems that the maker of a device that has killed millions and ravaged the developing world from the cold war era to the present should be considered more villain than hero.





In a televised ceremony Tuesday, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev lauded the achievement of Kalashnikov and proclaimed “You've invented not only the famous Kalashnikov machine gun itself but also a national brand which every Russian, every citizen of our country is proud of”. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin went further to say “Your main achievement -- the Kalashnikov assault rifle -- has repeatedly been recognized as one of the best inventions of the 20th century."

To say that the prolific AK-47 was not masterfully designed would be untrue. Long touted as the standard firearm for military forces ranging from national armies to bands of guerillas and freedom fighters, the AK-47 has an impressive track record. It is durable (with an average service life ranging from 20-40 years), it is cheap (you can pick one up for as little as $30) and it is easy to use (it has been purported that a ten year old can be taught to field strip and clean the gun in a matter of hours.) Due to these factors the AK has become the most popular gun in the world. Worldbank estimates that the AK-47 accounts for nearly 1/5 of the 500 million firearms still in use around the world. Clearly Kalashnikov’s stature as a businessman and engineer is unquestionable. His status as a hero, however, is largely undeserved.

To celebrate the invention of such a weapon with such enthusiasm is unconscionable. A celebration of this occasion should be likened to a celebration of the dropping of the Atom Bomb as the AK-47 has had just as devastating an affect. The low cost and ease of use of this gun has led to the creation of a multitude of child militias in developing countries, with children as young as 6 years old being trained to use the weapon with brutal effectiveness. For this reason alone the weapon should be internationally condemned. What’s more, the weapon is so durable that a war lord simply has to recollect the guns from his fallen “soldiers” after a skirmish and redistribute them to his next wave of combatants. How many hands do you think a weapon of this nature can go through in 40 years? My guess is quite a lot and that many of them were much smaller than my own.

When asked about the tragic losses that his invention had brought on the world, Mikhail Kalashnikov replied "I've designed my weapon to defend the borders of our Fatherland, and let it continue to serve this purpose." Last time I checked, Russia wasn’t at war. Furthermore, the majority of the massive amounts of this weapon that were stockpiled during the Cold War were never fired to defend Russia. They were sold to the highest bidder without thought to any consequences. Though it is true that Kalashnikov had no control of the sale of his weapons, to honor the prolonged holocaust he has created is truly villainous in its own right and should be condemned by anyone who values the sanctity of life.