We must challenge war

doi:10.1136/bmj.39150.465984.BE

BMJ 2007;334:550 (17 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39150.465984.BE

Letters

Publisher boycott

We must challenge war

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It is all very well for publishers of medical journals, drugcompanies, and even private healthcare institutions to say theyare involved in the "legitimate defence industry,"¹ but armsfairs also sell torture equipment and traders have no qualmsabout selling equipment to regimes that might be seen as lessthan legitimate or legal. How "legal" is most oppression anddoes legality reflect morality? "Legitimate defence" in themodern world seems to involve many more civilians than soldiers;hospitals and humanitarian organisations are in the direct firingline and much of it seems to go on in someone else's country.

If we, as healthcare professionals, are serious about improvingthe lot of humanity, I think it is our duty to encourage thefirms we work with to think twice about their moral decisions.If profit at any cost is the bottom line, then we may as wellgive up now. . . . [Full text of this article]

Marion Leighton, medical registrar

Wellington Hospital, Wellington, New Zealand

marion.leighton@ccdhb.org.nz