As indicated last week, these are proposed means, some initiated incompletely in the past, toward practical world peacemaking.
To resume a share in the moral leadership of the world community, the United States President and Congress must become truly “exceptional” among nations, and admit that we have made a serious mistake: our invasion of Iraq. By so declaring this openly, we begin the process of turning back the chaos of war and terrorism that has since spread to Syria, Libya, Gaza, and Yemen, has been reigniting terribly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the repression in Egypt, Bahrain, even Ukraine. It should be eminently apparent by now that relying on pre-emptive war and weapons proliferation to solve our resource security, or their internecine conflicts, is bankrupt policy. A straightforward approach to this sets the stage for regaining the honor driven mutual respect necessary for steps two and three below.
4-17-15 Displaced Sunnis- -outskirts of Baghdad fled fighting in Ramadi between government-backed forces and ISIS, right after ISIS kicked out of Tikrit--Reuters photo
The United States should become a full participant and respecter of the International Criminal Court. This court should begin with a mission that involves all nations in an investigation as who have been the most significant violators of international laws dating from the attacks of 911 onward, with the highest standards of jurisprudence, adequate resources, and the respect of every country. A docket should be created which focuses on the most terrible outbreaks of violence, names those responsible, and enforces creative nonviolent forms of correction and restitution.
Building upon the above restatements of the real
interdependent nature of the international community, the United Nations would
unite to create a full arms moratorium to be actively enforced by all on all
the Middle East nations. A
ceasefire for all factions of Arab nations, and with Israel and Iran included. A slow but sure diminution of guns and
bullets, to lead to an inevitable engagement in productive negotiations. The
sophisticated military surveillance and interdiction apparatus that has been
created by many nations, notably the U.S., E.U., China, and Russia {who’d also
first renounce their own major role in the sale and support of weapons to the
Middle East} would be employed to stop weapons delivery and assisted
manufacture in the Middle East.
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These steps may seem ambitious, yet have had some practical implementations in the past. The current escalations of violence worldwide lead only to physical and spiritual disaster. We have set before us death and life--choose life.
Experience in negotiations would grow in tandem with
experience in disarmament, to spread out from there to all nations big and
small. The standard for militaries and
internal police forces, should be the minimum necessary for defense, with
budget resources so achieved, dedicated to creative ecological employment,
education and human needs.
One small example {See references below} -- A recent U.S.
naval interdiction [just sending an aircraft carrier to the area] led to a probable
Iranian decision reverse their flotilla’s delivery of weapons to Yemen. If this were coupled to a ban on our delivery
of military supplies to Saudi Arabia and other actors in Yemen, plus an
interdiction of all weapons supply to Yemen, the factions might be put on a
path to decreased violence, and an increase in creative co-existence.
Art by Kathy Brahney
A personal examination of conscience and pocketbook while we
work and pray for international solutions. {front of Port Huron County Courthouse, July 3, 2013}
