Plan B Think Different

Dr. Benjamin Rush, Painting by Peale

Our government, as it is operating today, works for the wealthiest (the .01%), the global corporations, and their paid-off enablers, both corporate managers and elected office holders.

To make our society work for us, the 99.9%, including the masterfully manipulated Trump supporters, we must change our message and our paradigm.

One way to accomplish this is by converting the Peace Corps into a cabinet-level Peace Department, equal in stature to the Department of Defense, and empower it with the mission to develop and implement our national “Peace Economy” as an alternative to our current war economy.

The Department of Peace would be charged with ending our profiting from war by creating alternatives, such as leading our national economy toward a “sustainable energies” and infrastructure renewal economy, a.k.a. The Green New Deal, thereby employing millions and creating $ trillions in new economic growth.

It’s unlikely that Mr. Trump and the Republican Party will transform for the sake of what is good and humane over “profit”. Throughout history it never has. In fact, no society has.

Consider, for instance, Dr. Benjamin Rush’s 1793 essay describing his Peace Department concept for “promoting and preserving perpetual peace in the United States”, was based upon Christian principles because, “…the Christian religion should be preferred to all others; for it belongs to this religion exclusively to teach us not only to cultivate peace with all men, but to forgive—nay more, to love our very enemies..”

The Rush concept failed. Just as countless others since have failed. Why? Because there has always been immense profit in war.

Plan B - Think Different - The Department of Peace - Peace Economy – a.k.a., 
The Green New Deal

But, today, due to technological advances in sustainable energies and the obvious need to rebuild our infrastructure, immense profit is waiting for the making... or exploiting.

We no longer need to make more bombs and bullets or expand our “empire” to create more wealth for the wealthy.

That is why I am optimistic we can achieve what no other society has ever achieved: creating an alternative economy and thereby creating more profit incentive for the 1%.

We can start by converting the Peace Corps into the Department of Peace.

Change the message from emphasizing the Green New Deal and talk about the immense profits waiting for the taking through The Peace Economy.

Change the paradigm. Change our society for the 100%.

Apple - Think Different

Department of Peace

Convert the Peace Corps into Department of Peace

This Memorial Day, as most every day, I pray for a Department of Peace.

Yes, a formal, cabinet-level government body, equal in stature to the Department of Defense. It would be seriously funded and empowered with the mission to develop and implement our national alternative “economic war plan”.

The Department of Peace would be charged with ending our profiting from war by creating alternatives, such as leading our national economy toward a “sustainable energies” and infrastructure renewal economy.

My hope is that by adopting a Peace Economy we will finally cleanse ourselves of our addiction to killing and maiming for profit.

Among the words recently written to Mr. Trump and signed by 76 retired admirals, generals and diplomats, I found these:

“As national security professionals with extensive careers in the U.S. armed forces and diplomatic service, we have witnessed first-hand how quickly disputes can spiral out of control.”

“The lack of direct communication between U.S. and Iranian political and military leaders during a time of heightened rhetoric only increases the possibility of a miscalculation resulting in unintended military conflict.”

It’s not likely that Mr. Trump will incur a Saul-like-epiphany on his way to his Mar-a-Lago mansion and gulf club, thereby overcoming his ego. Nor is it likely he will push aside his war criminal, National Security Advisor's career-long drive for war with Iran of his

Further, for political reasons it is unlikely that our war-addicted society will transform itself for the sake of what is good and humane. Throughout history it never has. No society has. There has always been immense profit in war.

But, today, due to technological advances in sustainable energies and the obvious need to rebuild our infrastructure, immense profit is waiting for the taking. We no longer need to make more bombs and bullets to create more wealth for the wealthy.

That is why I am optimistic we can achieve what no other society has ever achieved: creating an alternative economy and thereby taking the profit incentive out of war.

We can start by converting the Peace Corps into the Department of Peace.

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON U.S. TENSIONS WITH IRAN

Dear Mr. President,

"We write to you to express our deep concern with the current escalation with Iran in the Arabian Gulf.  The mutual animosity between the United States and Iran, the accelerated deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region, and reports of Iranian preparations for attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic facilities are highly concerning and make for a potentially deadly confrontation.  A war with Iran, either by choice or miscalculation, would produce dramatic repercussions in an already destabilized Middle East and drag the United States into another armed conflict at immense financial, human, and geopolitical cost."

"As national security professionals with extensive careers in the U.S. armed forces and diplomatic service, we have witnessed first-hand how quickly disputes can spiral out of control.  The lack of direct communication between U.S. and Iranian political and military leaders during a time of heightened rhetoric only increases the possibility of a miscalculation resulting in unintended military conflict.  Washington and Tehran are talking past each other and taking actions the other views as dangerously provocative at best and the beginning of forceful action at worst."

"We were heartened by your reported desire to avoid war with Iran in favor of other tools, including common-sense diplomacy."  -more-

Courage

Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (1926)

Somewhere within us resides an itty-bitty spark of courage.

We need to look hard to find it.

Then, give it some air and nurture it into a brilliant flame.

We need that hidden spark to help us try to make fewer bombs, rifles, landmines, fighter jets, missiles and aircraft carriers.

Because with a tiny fraction of what we spend on war materiel each year, we can employ our people in good-paying jobs to rebuild our water systems and stop polluting our rivers, lakes and oceans; rebuild and modernize our roads, bridges, cities and family farms; make our healthcare system the best in the world; educate and train all our people; dive like our future depends on it — because it does — into decentralized and diversified, sustainable energy systems.

We can do these things and much more with an itty-bitty, mouse-sized portion of what we spend on war materiel.

All we need is the courage to find that spark and nurture it.

Transitioning from a war economy into a peace economy... it's time... because we are braver, stronger and smarter than we think.

Other Ways to Make a Living

Why must we go on hating?

Why must every bomb, every landmine, every weapon of death have Made in USA stamped on it?

Aren’t you tired of seeing all the "collateral damage"... innocent dead and wounded… men, women and children... especially the children... sown by the war economy?

I am.

Can’t we choose other ways to make a living?

Is it because, has it always been because, the death economy produces a never-ending flow of gold for a select few to horde in their cellar vaults?

It’s time for the Peace Train to take us away from our death-dealing war economy to a life-sustaining Peace Economy.

It’s time for the Peace Train Party to end the carnage.

Peace Train - Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) - 1971 & 2008

Yusuf Islam, formerly known by his stage name Cat Stevens (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 in London, UK), is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist and prominent convert to Islam.

As "Cat Stevens," Islam has sold over 60 million albums around the world since the late 1960s. His albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified by the RIAA as having achieved Triple Platinum status in the United States (three million sales each); his album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. His songwriting has also earned him two ASCAP songwriting awards (for "The First Cut Is the Deepest," which has been a hit single for four different artists.)

Stevens converted to Islam at the height of his fame in 1977. The following year, he adopted his Islamic name Yusuf Islam and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. In 2006, he returned to pop music, with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup.

He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2004 Man for Peace award and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. He lives with his wife, Fauzia Mubarak Ali, and five children in Brondesbury Park, London, and spends part of each year in Dubai.