Letter: Malaysian views on media freedom; British attitudes to aid and trade

Sir: If a government were to spend money on creating jobs, it would surely do so in sectors that are perceived to be undersupplied - such as public transport and teaching - rather than in sectors perceived to be oversupplied, such as weapons manufacture.

It would, moreover, get better value for money by investing in labour-intensive, rather than capital-intensive, activities (arms manufacturing is possibly the most capital-intensive industry of all). It is, therefore, hard to draw any conclusion other than that the Government's principal motivation in linking arms sales to dam building was not the creation or protection of British jobs.

Yours sincerely,

GEORGE MONBIOT

Oxford

3 March