text: additional factor for larger nilitary outlays and the further escalation of the arns race. Apprehensions in thls respect cannot be easily disnissed because ' as compared to the period under review, the post-war world has never confronted so many resource-related tensions nanifesting thenselves in such varied forns' in so nany places and at the sane tine. 139. Enanating frorn a whole range of concerns pertaining to the intensifying threats to inEernationaL peace and security enbodied in an escalating arrns race, making additional claims on globaI resources, the focus of public concern in the 1980s appears to be the sane. what is the utnost lirnit of cor nitments to nilitaryoutlays? Has the norld reached or is it approaching a watershed beyond $hichfurther escalations of the arfis race or the ground rules deterrnining them will bequite different fron what they have been up to no$? One such najor watershed has been apparently reached in terns of a universal weakening in the process of econonic growCh as reflected in the rates of increase in the GNP. For several years, the world econony has experienced a continuous process of slold or declining groYtth, which appears set to continue, although sorne economic recovery may beanticipated. As long as high mititary outlays coexisted with high rates of economic Arowth in the devel-oped r.rorld, they r.rere perhaps not always seen as an enolnbus economic burden. But the 1970s have brought oub trend changes in the Pace and Procesa of economic gronth and the social tolerance of military outlay€ is gettlng increasinglY low. 140. Historical comparisons of sone major j.ndustrialized countries yipld a p€'.:,:r, of economic performance that corresponds quite closel-y to the relative civllian an'l M37 /386 English Annex Page 64
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the relationship between military spending and economic growth, as well as the potential consequences of continued escalation of the arms race on global resources. The author is highlighting the trend of declining economic growth and the increasing burden of military outlays on the global economy.