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 Jeremy Routledge on January 4, 2009 at 7:59am
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What a wonderful idea and I hope it takes root in society. There is something wrong with an economy where the greater the conflict the greater the profits. This would make it such that the greater the peace the greater the profits.
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Comment by Kurt H. Hoyer on January 4, 2009 at 5:39am
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Peace is what the world needs. We need people/leaders stepping in the right direction - making the first step of an endless journey of love, peace and change.
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Comment by Emrah Aras on January 4, 2009 at 3:39am
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I believe...
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Comment by luisa almada on January 4, 2009 at 2:48am
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Thanks for sharing, it is very interesting reading about Obammas work and Deepack Chopra. The word needs many peaple like them to make the diference. with love
Tita
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Comment by Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers on January 4, 2009 at 1:36am
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Obama is you and I. If we walk our talk, then we are the answer, instead of the problem. All wise and directive leader need others to take their share of the responsibility. One step at a time by all true world leaders, including the beloved Obama, helps us to walk in peace with all kind, generous, wise people of the globe, who are developing leaders too.
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Comment by Sandman on January 4, 2009 at 12:34am
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RIGHT ON! RIGHT ON!
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Comment by LauraMarie on January 4, 2009 at 12:23am
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It would be easier to convince people at the top if war didn't make money for them. Unfortunately greed plays a big part in their decisions.
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This sounds like a good plan to me. The people at the top need to get rid of greed - war makes money for them.
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Comment by Mahmood Sairally on January 3, 2009 at 11:11pm
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Waiting for the elected President Obama to react will be too late. We must act now. The Israeli are marching in the North of Gaza and it has to be stopped before more people will get killed and hurt.
The UNO should ask the Governments to send an ultimatum to both Hamas and the Israeli Government to come to cease fire immediately. Having seen the pictures of the marching of the Israeli Armed Forces I dare not imagine of the results. Let's all of us pray.
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Comment by James Cutrupi on January 3, 2009 at 11:10pm
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How Great will be the days, when the enlightened will be in the majority. I see it happening.
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