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Peace versus War We Have a Choice
Peace begets peace. War begets war. When our leaders learn how to achieve peace by peaceful means, in due time we will have peace in the entire world. The underlying cause of war is fear, ignorance, greed, selfishness, and the lust for power. Truth is the ultimate solution. Deep within the soul of our being, everyone inherently desires peace. However, let’s face it. In this twenty first century, we are in a more perilous situation than ever before. We have many nations despising us and wishing for our annihilation. Radical terrorists would like to see us wiped off the map. We are in the crosshairs of several nuclear weapons, and several nations would like to get nuclear weapons. And according to an article in The Knoxville News-Sentinel (January 11, 2002), “China is expected to have as many as 100 long-range nuclear missiles aimed at the United States by 2015.” The article is based on a report released by the CIA. Further, Russia has agreed to help build missile defense systems in Venezuela and Cuba (about 100 miles from us). We seem to be on the brink of war with Iran. We have troops in 130 countries. About 10 countries have nuclear bombs, and about 20 more would like to get them. Are things getting better or worse? Our leaders in Washington would have us believe that they are looking out for us. Let’s face it: Many of the things that our leaders do in the name of national security are actually leading us down the path to being utterly wasted (language of Isaiah). Think about the destruction, suffering, confusion, and chaos that our nation would suffer if we were hit by one nuclear bomb. In comparison, it would make the 9/11 attack seem like a spit in the ocean. If we were hit with several nuclear bombs, we would be utterly wasted. America the beautiful would be America the wasteland. Think about it. Instead of all the suffering, deaths, destruction and chaos associated with wars and the threats of wars, we (individually and collectively) could live in peace and harmony if we lived the kind of life that Jesus and other biblical teachers wanted their followers to live. However, time is of the essence. We cannot afford to wait until fundamentalists break free from the shackles of fundamentalism and begin teaching clearly the gospel of peace Jesus preached and that he commanded his disciples to preach to every creature in the world. As it is, our leaders in Washington know from the way things have been going for several years that it is not “if” but “when” this nation will be attacked. Our leaders know that at some point in time that the President of the United States will receive the infamous 3 a.m. phone call. Instead of our nation knowing having a president who knows how to answer such a phone call, we need a President who knows how to change the mindset in Washington and how to achieve peace by peaceful means—and consequently, how to rule out any expectation of such a phone call. This is what a vast majority of Americans desire. As it is, it seems that we are headed for the war of all wars—a war that will have no winners. Yet, there seems to be no signs in the mindset of the Washington crowd toward achieving peace by peaceful means … the only way we can achieve a genuine, lasting peace. Truth is our only hope for survival. Although elusive, achieving peace is comparatively simple: Simply being truthful with those who seem to be our opponents and doing what the prophet Isaiah said to do: “Come now, and let us reason together.” In most meetings with leaders of other nations the word negotiate should be replaced with the phrase reason together. For example, presently, Iran’s intention (which is questionable) to manufacture nuclear weapons seems to be a problem; that’s what gets the focus of attention. It would be most helpful in reasoning together with President Ahmadinejad for our leaders to know and understand that Iran’s seemingly intention to manufacture nuclear weapons is not the basic problem. The desire for nuclear weapons by various nations is the result of underlying problems. So, what are the underlying problems? A vast number of the problems we encounter is caused by our old behaviors (more about our old behaviors later). These old behaviors have many nations despising us and wishing for our termination. It’s the same underlying problem that has China manufacturing 100 long-range nuclear missiles aimed at the United States; it’s the same underlying problem that spurred Russia to help build missile defense systems in Venezuela and Cuba. Simply speaking, other nations will not accept world domination by the United States; other nations will not accept our meddling in their affairs; other nations will not accept the United States imposing our views and our form of government on them. Thus, the things we need to talk about are the things we don’t talk about. We do not solve problems by denying them and evading them. We would solve problems by getting down to the nitty-gritty, being truthful, acknowledging the underlying cause of problems—and reasoning together with humility and an open mind. I had finished writing this article when I found the following comments in the November 27, 2009, issue of THE WEEK: “It used to be the U.S. could go around and say, ‘Do this’ and ‘Do that’ because they had so much leverage,” said Dali Yang, an Asia scholar at the University of Chicago. “Today, the U.S. can’t do that.” Former president John F. Kennedy pointed us in the right direction if only we would pay attention. He said, “The United States is only six percent of the world’s population, and we have no right to impose our views or even our system of government on the other 94 percent.” Let’s face it. We have no right to impose our views on others. Former President Abraham Lincoln said: “The way to destroy our enemies is to make them our friends.” And, former president Woodrow Wilson, said, “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” Let’s face it: Bombing and keeping all options on the table (a form of threat) — doing the same old things we have been doing for ages — will never keep us together. We can never manufacture enough nuclear weapons; we can never be strategically intelligent enough; we can never build a military powerful enough — regardless of how many trillions of dollars we spend — to feel secure and have genuine peace, and still have so many nations despising us, distrusting us, and terrorists eager to annihilate us. Former President Kennedy also understood the potential destruction that nuclear weapons could bring upon all people in the entire world. President Kennedy said:
“Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes. … For a nuclear disaster, spread by winds and waters and fear, could well engulf the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the committed and the uncommitted alike. Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.” (Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations by John Bartlett). (Emphasis added).
Let’s face it. With the continued buildup of nuclear weapons — and with the continued tension between us and other nations — we are headed toward the end of mankind. At least, we are headed toward this nation being destroyed. There is already more than enough nuclear weapons to wipe out all human life.
C. G. Jung, author of The Undiscovered Self, said:
“Considering that the evil of our day puts everything that has ever agonized mankind in the deepest shade, one must ask oneself how it is that, for all our progress in the administration of justice, in medicine and in technology, for all our concern for life and health, monstrous engines of destruction have been invented which could easily exterminate the human race. … Reason alone does not suffice. In theory, it lies within the power of reason to desist from experiments of such hellish scope as nuclear fission if only because of the dangerousness. But fear of the evil which one does not see in one’s own bosom but always in somebody else’s checks reason every time, although one knows that the use of this weapon means the certain end of our present human world.” (Emphasis added).
Think about our priorities. There are things in addition to world peace that are highly important: the economy, the oil-energy problem, health care, education, developing natural resources, and on and on and on. But peace in the world is of utmost importance. What would be our high priorities if terrorists obtain and use nuclear weapons or electromagnetic pulse bombs against us—if they destroyed this great nation? At this very moment, we can be certain that terrorists are plotting and planning an attack against America. Believe it or not, but an excellent starting point for changing priorities, and consequently, changing the direction in which we are headed might be for our President to meet and reason together with Iranian President Ahmadinejad. The prophet Isaiah’s advice, “Come now and let us reason together,” is the most rational, sensible, and effective way of achieving peace with other nations—a way of achieving peace by peaceful means. And it seems that this is what President Ahmadinejad desires to do. In 2007, President Ahmadinejad said: “Before coming to New York, I announced that I am ready, in the United States, to engage in a debate with Mr. Bush, the president of the United States, about the critical international issues. So that shows that we want to talk, having a debate before the world public – before all the audience, so that truth is revealed, so that misunderstandings and misperceptions are removed, so that we can find a clear path for brotherly and friendly relations. I think that if the U.S. administration — if the U.S. government puts aside some of its old behaviors, it can actually be a good friend for the Iranian people, for the Iranian nation.” (Emphasis added). Notice that President Ahmadinejad wants to talk, and notice the things he wants to talk about. Aren’t our old behaviors and the other things he wants to talk about the explanation of why so many nations despise us? And the explanation of why some foreign leaders view the United States as the enemy of peace? Should we not want to know with absolute clarity what our old behaviors are? Are our elected leaders in Washington afraid that truth will be revealed? The old myth “truth hurts” is false. On the contrary truth has the power to bring peace and harmony to the entire world. President Ahmadinejad knows that we will not tolerate Iran manufacturing nuclear weapons, yet he still wants to talk. How could our leaders go wrong talking and reasoning together about the things that have the potential for helping us get on the path to peace with other nations—what President Ahmadinejad seems to desire for all nations. Instead of meeting and talking with President Ahmadinejad, our leaders seem to hide behind the excuse: “We can’t negotiate with President Ahmadinejad without preconditions.” What are preconditions, except knowing before meeting that our opponents are going to do what we want them to do? That way, our leaders will remain in the catbird seat. Being truthful, with humility and an open heart — and having no hidden agenda — we do not need preconditions to reason together. After all, deep within the soul of our being everyone inherently desires peace. Before explaining further about my viewpoints, I must explain that before reading and listening to some of the things President Ahmadinejad said, I thought that he must be a tyrant … worse than Hitler. However, something he said piqued my interest; he did not seem to be the type of leader that the Washington crowd and the news media had me thinking he is. I ended up reading four of his speeches, including the speech he made at Columbia University (2007). Now, I have the impression that President Ahmadinejad could be our friend if we let him be. Before calling me gullible (or something worse than that), I urge you to read the rest of this essay. Simply, I do not believe that anyone would understand the requirements for peace as well as President Ahmadinejad does without sincerely desiring peace for the entire world. At least, what he has said is more than enough to justify meeting with him and discussing: “critical international issues, so that truth is revealed, so that misunderstandings and misperceptions are removed, so that we can find a clear path for brotherly and friendly relations.” Think about the potential: A meeting that could be a catalyst for embarking on a path to peace and harmony in the entire world … a catalyst for changing the way we have been doing things for the past several years … doing things that’s causing problems, rather than solving problems. And, what is there to lose by meeting and reasoning together? Isn’t that much better than thinking about another war—what our leaders seem to be doing. Would we rather fight than reason together? We have the choice. Would we rather fight than to be honest, truthful, and humble ... a primary requirement for making friends with other nations. President Ahmadinejad wants peace; we want peace. President Ahmadinejad wants to world to be free of nuclear weapons; we would like for the world to be free of nuclear weapons. Why not meet with President Ahmadinejad and ask him about our old behaviors that are causing problems—the old behaviors that he and leaders of other nations cannot accept? Shouldn’t we wish to know? After all, it’s the same old behaviors that have other nations hating us and wishing that we would be annihilated. The speech I read that changed my viewpoints about President Ahmadinejad is the one he gave at the United Nations in 2008. It does not seem that Washington leaders or the news media paid attention. In that 30-minute speech, President Ahmadinejad used the word God thirty three times. In addition, his use of the pronouns his, he and him refer to God. Thus, President Ahmadinejad referred to God 51 times in that 30-minute speech. And he certainly seems interested in world peace, getting rid of nuclear weapons, and has rational, sensible ideas for achieving peace. None of the news reports that I heard or read mentioned anything about what President Ahmadinejad said about God, or about his desire for peace among all nations, or about his desire for all nations to get rid of nuclear weapons. Instead, what they said was slanted toward President Ahmadinejad being an evil dictator. And it’s not simply the number of times that President Ahmadinejad referred to God that is of utmost importance. What is of utmost importance is that he understands the Holy Scriptures clear enough for us to know what is required for us to have peace in the world. And a peaceful, working relationship with Iran could be a stepping stone to peaceful, working relationships with other nations. A list of things President Ahmadinejad said in the subject speech follows (along with my notes):
All the above comments by President Ahmadinejad were in that one 30-minute speech. Again, I have not heard or read anything from the news media or from our elected leaders about the spiritual things that President Ahmadinejad said. Instead, what I have heard or read is slanted toward making President Ahmadinejad seem like an evil dictator. Following his speech to the U.N. general assembly (2008), President Ahmadinejad was the guest speaker at a dinner meeting held in New York City. After hearing so many negative things that make President Ahmadinejad seem like a tyrant, I wondered who would invite him to be the guest speaker. I was surprised to learn that it was a coalition of Christian organizations, including the Religions for Peace. The Religions for Peace organization is active in more than 70 countries. This organization is dedicated to achieving peace, respecting cultural differences and promoting peaceful co-existence among all people. Did you hear anything about this from the news media? Is the explanation of why our leaders have refused to meet and talk with President Ahmadinejad because they know of some frightful, dreadful things he has done? And in our trying to understand what President Ahmadinejad really desires, we must not confuse his desires with that of the radicals who chant such things as: “Death to America” and those who burn the American flag, etcetera. How does the frightful, dreadful things Iran has done compare with the frightful, dreadful things we have done? We have bombed and killed innocent civilians in various places worldwide. Perhaps the propensity of our leaders to resort to bombing and keeping all options on the table cause more hostile feelings toward our nation than any other thing. As it is, our leaders are trying to get other nations to lower their number of nuclear weapons. If leaders of other nations agree to lower their nuclear arsenals, this goal would leave nations still stocked with nuclear weapons—and tons of other weapons of war.. A far more appealing goal than lowering nuclear arsenals would be getting rid of all weapons of war—thus, doing the equivalent of what Isaiah said: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isn’t this the ultimate goal? Here in the twenty first century, isn’t peace and harmony what we should be aiming for? After all, a vast majority of people desire a world in peace and harmony. Who is it that keeps stirring up the mire and dirt, except world leaders? And the primary question is: Why? Considering the disgust that many people have for us because of our propensity to bomb, the goal of getting rid of all weapons of war might be the most accepted thing we have ever suggested. It’s what everyone — deep within the soul of their being — desires. There are those who might say, “It cannot be done.” Although it’s never been tried, it can be done. Truth is powerful. The primary requirement for achieving peace by peaceful means is leaders being open minded, humble, truthful, and reasoning together… what Isaiah said to do. Achieving peace with other nations will be rendered much easier when we have a change in the mindset in Washington—from thinking about war to thinking about peace. We bring about what we think about. In addition to the above list of things that President Ahmadinejad said in the speech mentioned above, he also said the following:
Regarding the last statement above about the family being the most valuable and sacred institution, regrettably, we as a nation do not seem to place this kind of value on the American family. Let's face it. Our families are fractured and troubled. About 90 percent of American families are dysfunctional. And according to the book, The Day America Told The Truth, by James Patterson and Peter Kim, of 11 developed countries in the world, the United States is by far the most violent. In addition, we have one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Why should we impose our views on other nations? From all that President Ahmadinejad said, it seems that he desires peace. Why not meet with him and give him a chance to demonstrate that he is serious about desiring peaceful relationships with all nations and for all nations to get rid of nuclear weapons. Why not meet with President Ahmadinejad and give him a chance of being a friend of the United States? This is what he seems to want to do. Incidentally, it seems that I have devoted undue attention to President Ahmadinejad. There is an explanation:
As it is, our leaders meet and talk about such things as human rights, women rights, global warming, and so on. They do not talk about why they are building up their military capabilities. Secondary priorities would be much easier to resolve if we were truly friends with other nations. Remember what Former president Woodrow Wilson said, “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” Making friends with other nations should be top priority of the President of the United States. And to make genuine friendships, we must be truthful, humble, and have no hidden agenda. And quite importantly, we must reason together about the things that cause problems—that cause of wars and the threats of war. Think about it. Instead of meeting and reasoning together about the cause of problems, our leaders are thinking about building a missile defense system for use against Iran. Any way you say it, we are in the twenty first century, and our leaders are planning and preparing for another war—repeating the same old patterns of doing things they have been doing for decades. Think about it. At the time of writing this, the war in Iraq left things unsettled. Presently, we do not have a strategy for winning the war in Afghanistan. We have bombed and killed innocent citizens in Pakistan, and Pakistan is in an unstable, troubling situation. Russia has agreed to help build missile defense systems in Venezuela and Cuba. China is manufacturing 100 long-range nuclear missiles to be aimed at the United States. And now we are preparing for a war with Iran—a nation whose President desires to meet with us to resolve old issues so that we can be friends. As it is, our leaders choose to continue planning and preparing for another war. Our leaders in Washington definitely need to change their mindset: From plotting, planning, and preparing for wars to achieving peace by peaceful means. As it is, it seems that our leaders in Washington have no interest in knowing what the old behaviors are that Iran (and other nations) will not accept. We like to think of our nation as being a peace loving nation. Why do we stir up so much mire and dirt with other nations? Our leaders do not seem interested in knowing the explanation of the following questions:
Isn't the answer to the question, why can we not be on friendly terms with Cuba (and some other nations), because they will not let us dominate them and impose our views or form of government on them? Remember, we have no right to do this. Think about what our nation does: Why are we committed to protecting Taiwan from China? Taiwan is part of China. And China is not going to give up one square foot of their land. Is our reason for protecting Taiwan because our interest n national security? Aren’t we really meddling in the affairs of China? Does it make sense for the United States to be obligated to protect Taiwan and risk finding ourselves involved in a war with China? Isn’t our position about Taiwan the explanation of why China is manufacturing 100 long-range nuclear missiles to be used against the United States? Also, clearly Russia was irked by plans of the United States to build a missile defense system in Poland (getting ready for another war). Again, is this in the interest of national security? Now Russia is planning to help build missile defense systems in Venezuela and Cuba (in our backyard). Does it really make sense for Russia to engage in a conflict with Georgia, wreaking havoc with that country, and then the United States giving Georgia a billion dollar foreign aid package (taxpayer’s money) to rebuild what Russia has destroyed? We seem to think that we are on friendly terms with Russia. Not exactly (Russia keeps building up their military, and who are they preparing for, except us), but we could be if we would follow the prophet Isaiah’s wisdom and reason together with Russian leaders about the cause of distrust between us … and any other nagging issues. In addition, why are our leaders determined to protect Israel? Of course we have preferences, but what is the real explanation? Is it out of the goodness of our heart, or is it a matter of national security? It seems than many things our nation does in the name of national security is really leading us down the path to total destruction. By far, the most significant thing we could ever do to enhance our national security is to make friends with other nations… is to achieve peace by peaceful means. And think of the many billions of dollars that could be diverted from defense spending to spending for things such as: jobs, tax cuts, health care, housing, education, clean energy and on and on and on … if only we lived in peace and harmony—what everyone desires. Do we believe that President Ahmadinejad said, “Israel must be wiped off the map”? Surely we do not wish to get involved in a war with Iran based on misleading information—like we did in Iraq. Let’s face it! We are not absolutely sure of Iran’s interest in manufacturing nuclear bombs. For those who believe that President Ahmadinejad said, “Israel must be wiped off the map,” they ought to read an article on the Internet, “The Rumor of the Century,” by Arash Norouzi. Introductory paragraphs follow: “Across the world, a dangerous rumor has spread that could have catastrophic implications. According to legend, Iran's President has threatened to destroy Israel, or, to quote the misquote, "Israel must be wiped off the map". Contrary to popular belief, this statement was never made, as the following article will prove. Amid heated wrangling over Iran's nuclear program, and months of continuous, unfounded accusations against Iran in an attempt to rally support for preemptive strikes against the country, the imperialists had just been handed the perfect raison d'être to invade. To the war hawks, it was a gift from the skies. The mistranslated ‘wiped off the map’ quote attributed to Iran's President has been spread worldwide, repeated thousands of times in international media, and prompted the denouncements of numerous world leaders. Virtually every major and minor media outlet has published or broadcast this false statement to the masses. Big news agencies such as The Associated Press and Reuters refer to the misquote, literally, on an almost daily basis.” It’s significant to know that President Ahmadinejad said that he loved the Jewish people. And among other things, did you notice the use of the words imperialists and war hawks? Clearly, we do not see ourselves as other see us. Robert Burns, Scottish poet said, “Oh what some power the gift he give us, to see ourselves as others see us!” We are not going to solve problems with other nations if we do not see ourselves as we really are. Think about it. We are in the twenty first century. Are things getting better or worse? Clearly, something is off course in America. We have troops in 130 countries. Our national debt is more than 11 trillion dollars, and it is increasing rapidly. A tree cannot grow to the sky. The interest on the debt is staggering, and not a penny of the interest goes toward those things we need to be doing for the good of our families, our nation and the very world itself. I hasten to explain that I am no expert on foreign policy and our relationships with other countries. To be matter-of-fact, straight forward and clear, I don’t have the foggiest notion about some of the things going on in Washington—why our leaders do some of the things they do and why they do not do things they ought to do. Regarding what I know, I know that we would not be involved in so many skirmishes, wars, and the threats of wars without being at least a part of the problem instead of part of the solution. I also know that we (the American people) — and a vast majority of people in the entire world — are fed up with wars and the threats of wars. A vast majority of people in the entire world desire peace. So, who is keeping us bogged down in wars and the threats of war? If we did an in-depth study of why many nations despise us and resist doing what we want them to do — why many nations would like to see the downfall of the United States — we might discover that the answer is in something Pogo (the comic character created by Walt Kelley) said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Let's face it, the foreign policies of the United States cause many problems, and the costs are exorbitant, and the suffering and chaos are appalling. Although we are the most powerful nation in the world, things have changed. We are no longer in a position to protect ourselves without suffering tremendous destruction, suffering and chaos. We are in the cross hairs of too many nuclear weapons to continue doing the same old things that our leaders have been doing for decades. When there is another attack, assuming there are survivors in Washington, there are two things about which we can be certain: Our leaders will begin an immediate investigation of what went wrong and what we must do to prevent another attack. Further, we can be certain that the things they promise do not include anything about correcting the cause of our problems with other nations. And they will do things such as blaming the past administration. All the while, the underlying cause of our most serious problems with other countries has existed for many years. I’m reminded of one of Bob Hope’s one-liner jokes: President Eisenhower approached the ticket agent at the air port, who ask him, “Where to”? President Eisenhower relied, “Anywhere. We have problems everywhere.” Our leaders in Washington do not seem interested in knowing why we have problems everywhere. In summary, at this perilous time in the history of this nation and the very world itself, truth is imperative for our survival. The one thing that we could do to help change the direction in which we are headed (which is toward being utterly wasted) is one of the simplest things we could do: Simply refrain from doing some of the things we are doing that foreign leaders resist and resent—things they will not accept, such as: Dominating them; expecting them to do what we want them to do; meddling in their affairs; and imposing our views or our form of government on other nations. When we cease doing the things other nations resist and resent, we could be on friendly terms with them. And remember what Iranian President Ahmadinejad said: “The only way to the betterment of mankind is by returning to the teachings of the divine prophets.” There is no question about it: If we, individually and collectively, followed the teachings of biblical teachers, peace and harmony would permeate the entire world. The prophet Isaiah said, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee” (Isaiah 26:3). Peace cannot get any better than perfect peace. When our mind is stayed on thee, we are guided by that which is true, and we have peace and joy. Then, nations could: “Beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” An ending thought: If we do not achieve peace and harmony with other nations now, when will we? If we do not become peaceful and harmonious with other nations, what is going to be the end result? Think about it. And the primary requirement for achieving peace by peaceful means is being truthful — with no hidden agenda — and reasoning together with humility and an open mind.
Copyright © 2009 by Dwight Nichols. All rights reserved.
For an explanation of something that would stimulate the economy far more than anything in the stimulus packages — and not cost taxpayers one dime — click here: stimulating the economy
Essays that are must reading
The Gospel of Peace — Learn the truth. The true gospel that Jesus preached would bring us, our families, our nation — the very world itself — peace and harmony if we understood, believed, and did what Jesus and other biblical teachers taught. Click here: The True Gospel
The Power of Love — Whatever you do, do not miss this essay. Love has the potential for bringing us, our families, our nation — the very world itself — peace, love, joy, and happiness ... what everyone wants. Learn the truth about how we learn to love. Click here: Love
Truth Is The Way — Know this to be true: If we, individually and collectively, knew the truth that makes us free, we, our families, our nation and the very world itself would be in peace and harmony. Why has this been glossed over? How to discover the truth that makes us free. Truth Is the Way
Books by the author:
Listening to Ourselves: The Key to Everything that Matters Discover Truth and Be Free Life’s Greatest Lesson: The Message Jesus Intended for Us Commune With Your Heart: The Only Way to Find Peace, Joy and Happiness The Truth About The Gospel: How to Find Peace, Joy, and Happiness Peace, Truth, Love and Joy: What the Bible Is All About For Information about these books, click here: Book Information To see what readers have said about the author's previous writings, click the following link. Unlike testimonials some publishers use, these comments were unsolicited. Comments To return to the beginning of this Web site, click here: Beginning
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