9 Steps to Peace for Obama in the New Year
9 Steps to Peace for Obama in the New Year
2 January 2009
by Deepak Chopra, Tikkun, 1 Jan 2009.
The following is a memo to Barack Obama from Deepak Chopra:
Deepak Chopra
PEACE
You have been elected by the first anti-war constituency since 1952, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected after promising to end the Korean War. But ending a war isn’t the same as bringing peace. America has been on a war footing since the day after Pearl Harbor, 67 years ago. We spend more on our military than the next 16 countries combined. If you have a vision of change that goes to the heart of this country’s deep problems, ending our dependence on war is far more important than ending our dependency on foreign oil.
The most immediate changes are economic. Unless it can make as much money as war, peace doesn’t stand a chance. Since aerospace and military technologies remain the United States’ most destructive export, fostering wars around the world, what steps can we take to reverse that trend and build a peace-based economy?
1. Scale out arms dealing and make it illegal by the year 2020.
2. Write into every defense contract a requirement for a peacetime project.
3. Subsidize conversion of military companies to peaceful uses with tax incentives and direct funding.
4. Convert military bases to housing for the poor.
5. Phase out all foreign military bases.
6. Require military personnel to devote part of their time to rebuilding infrastructure.
7. Call a moratorium on future weapons technologies.
8. Reduce armaments like destroyers and submarines that have no use against terrorism and were intended to defend against a superpower enemy that no longer exists.
9. Fully fund social services and take the balance out of the defense and homeland security budgets.
These are just the beginning. We don’t lack creativity in coping with change. Without a conversion of our present war economy to a peace economy, the high profits of the military-industrial complex ensures that it will never end.
Do these nine steps seem unrealistic or fanciful? In various ways, other countries have adopted similar measures. The former Soviet army is occupied with farming and other peaceful work, for example. But comparisons are rather pointless, since only the United States is burdened with such a massive reliance on defense spending. Ultimately, empire follows the dollar. As a society, we want peace, and we want to be seen as a nation that promotes peace. For either ideal to come true, you as president must back up your vision of change with economic reality. So far, that hasn’t happened under any of your predecessors. All hopes are pinned on you.
Deepak Chopra is acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine. He is the author of over 50 books, including Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment and Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.
Source: IMAGINEPEACE.com
2 January 2009
by Deepak Chopra, Tikkun, 1 Jan 2009.
The following is a memo to Barack Obama from Deepak Chopra:
Deepak Chopra
PEACE
You have been elected by the first anti-war constituency since 1952, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected after promising to end the Korean War. But ending a war isn’t the same as bringing peace. America has been on a war footing since the day after Pearl Harbor, 67 years ago. We spend more on our military than the next 16 countries combined. If you have a vision of change that goes to the heart of this country’s deep problems, ending our dependence on war is far more important than ending our dependency on foreign oil.
The most immediate changes are economic. Unless it can make as much money as war, peace doesn’t stand a chance. Since aerospace and military technologies remain the United States’ most destructive export, fostering wars around the world, what steps can we take to reverse that trend and build a peace-based economy?
1. Scale out arms dealing and make it illegal by the year 2020.
2. Write into every defense contract a requirement for a peacetime project.
3. Subsidize conversion of military companies to peaceful uses with tax incentives and direct funding.
4. Convert military bases to housing for the poor.
5. Phase out all foreign military bases.
6. Require military personnel to devote part of their time to rebuilding infrastructure.
7. Call a moratorium on future weapons technologies.
8. Reduce armaments like destroyers and submarines that have no use against terrorism and were intended to defend against a superpower enemy that no longer exists.
9. Fully fund social services and take the balance out of the defense and homeland security budgets.
These are just the beginning. We don’t lack creativity in coping with change. Without a conversion of our present war economy to a peace economy, the high profits of the military-industrial complex ensures that it will never end.
Do these nine steps seem unrealistic or fanciful? In various ways, other countries have adopted similar measures. The former Soviet army is occupied with farming and other peaceful work, for example. But comparisons are rather pointless, since only the United States is burdened with such a massive reliance on defense spending. Ultimately, empire follows the dollar. As a society, we want peace, and we want to be seen as a nation that promotes peace. For either ideal to come true, you as president must back up your vision of change with economic reality. So far, that hasn’t happened under any of your predecessors. All hopes are pinned on you.
Deepak Chopra is acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine. He is the author of over 50 books, including Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment and Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.
Source: IMAGINEPEACE.com
Comment
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Comment by John Stephen Founder of: WWW.WorldPeaceCampaign.co uk on January 10, 2009 at 2:36pm
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At last some practical ways in which the USA's president to be Obama can start to take action. These ideas are most welcome. Let us all hope that the people in Obama's admin office make sure he sees this, although I am quite sure he will already have some very good ideas of his own. After 8 years of Bush it really will be a welcome change!
Did you notice that it was the USA's ambassador to the UN who vetoed the proposal that the UN Peacekeepers should take a hand in stopping the conflict in Gaza. I can understand Israel's objective to stop the supply of rockets through the backdoor tunnels from Iran, but really, its surely not necessary to kill & injure so many Palestinian civilians in the process? For all of us peace lovers there is usually a different way of resolving the problem even when the terrorists in Palestine & Lebanon refuse to discuss the problem. This is where united action by the United Nations could be of such great benefit. Israel has put up with rockets being fired into their civilian areas for many months. Were it not for impending elections in Israel perhaps an alternative route to resolve the problem could have been found. The UN should be made stronger so that it can step into stop conflict at the first opportunity - not after 2 weeks of fighting. Peace is something that very few people consider. Aggression is encouraged in the press & on TV so that people eventually believe that this is normal behavour. We must do our best to change people's attitudes - unfortunately this is a long term project but we should at least make a start with our children. How many children learn about life skills, politics, peace, democracy and how to be a decent adult in schools. Far too few!!
For more comments by John Stephen click onto : WWW.WORLDPEACECAMPAIGN.CO.UK
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Comment by Eunice colon on January 10, 2009 at 1:10am
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I am glad that He picked the cabinet members that he did. Hopefully they will each make a difference in restoring the issues we face in this country, in an amicable way.
Thanks for sharing.
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Comment by Gergely Oskolás on January 8, 2009 at 10:58am
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Hi everyone!
I am not a citizen of the U.S. but I can tell you some of these suggestions mean the suicide of the States.
If you really think that the peace is somthing what we can reach with weakening your military, you really should think it over. The aim is good but do not let yourself be misguided!
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Comment by ELIZABETH on January 7, 2009 at 7:07am
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I love Chopra's opinion this could be applied to the current Israel conflict, I think my blog "Response to Noa's letter" could be interesting to you
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i think obama will do more cos i look at him as a man of strong vision i love him anyway
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Comment by Debbie Samuels-Peretz on January 5, 2009 at 8:15pm
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There are some very good points in DC's suggestions, but eliminating a war economy will only go so far. As long as we live in a culture that worships money, power and blind self-interest and glorifies violent conflict resolution (seen any Hollywood action movies recently? been for a stroll in an urban neighborhood after dark ?) peace will always ellude us. If we focus instead on eliminating racism, sexism, intolerance, bigotry, violence etc. in our own backyards, the economy will eventually take care of itself.
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Comment by Garry Driehuizen on January 5, 2009 at 5:34pm
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Deepak Chopra has been my Guroe for many years and his 7 steps to succes my "Bible"it is on my bedtable, read a lot of his other books and I too think that it would be a great idea if D.C. could be an adviser of Obama's administration.! Halelua, bless be the world with these two men! Namaste Garry
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Comment by antonia yeo on January 5, 2009 at 3:27pm
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Wow! it sounds loike a dream! But isn't it too much to expect one human being to change so many concepts that have taken root in our very souls. Let me try something. We are all part of the same structures and we do not accept that we are puppets on a string. O.k. I think each of us is as strong as we want to be. So what about if we place the responsibility for change on our own shoulders? If we take care and notice every thing we do,buy, think, say, and if we just refuse to participate in the madness that's around us,and not forgetting The Ultimate Power which we can call on whenever we want to, surely we will see the change that we hunger fortaking place. Maybe in a small scale at first. But hey what have we to loose?
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Comment by Vatsala Shukla on January 5, 2009 at 8:04am
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Peace is indivisible. We all know it. But there is a greater responsibility of powerful nation towards the building of a peaceful world. At the dawn of this new year, there must be a good intent, will-power and humane approach to seek, share and extend peace all across the globe. Obviously, one individual can not make it, it is a joint-venture, for which a multi-level movement- at individual, group, region, nation- level- is what is needed urgently.
Happy Peaceful New Year 2009
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Comment by Deacon Christa Rathe on January 5, 2009 at 12:32am
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These are all worthy aims, but I would suggest an overriding goal: establish a United States Department of Peace per the campaign of the Peace Alliance. Then these and many more issues leading to peace can be addressed and carried out. Blessings of Peace to you all
Christa
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