World peace may seem like an impossible dream. Not only is it counter to human nature, but there are also many political, economic, and cultural obstacles to overcome. In Transition to Peace, author Russell Faure-Brac contends war is not a necessary evil; there are more effective and rational ways for the United States to defend itself. In this analysis, Faure-Brac examines where world peace stands now and how it relates to the rapidly changing world. He combines the nonviolent power of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King; the concept of Peaceful Warriorship as found in the martial arts of Aikido and Ninjutsu; and the Permaculture ideas of Earth Care, People Care, and Faire Share to form the basis for peace programs and three peace principles that he proposes as a new national security policy. Faure-Brac then lays out a plan for making the changes. Though world peace might be a challenging prospect, Transition to Peace shows that is possible to achieve it, and the United States can lead the rest of the world in the right direction.
TRANSITION TO PEACE
A Defense Engineer's Search for an Alternative to WarBy Russell Faure-BraciUniverse
Copyright © 2012 Russell Faure-Brac
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4697-3078-3Contents
Acknowledgments......................................................xviiIntroduction.........................................................xix1. REFLECTIONS ON WAR................................................1Major American Wars..................................................1US Military Bases....................................................2Astronomical Cost....................................................4A Changing Battlefield...............................................62. A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD..........................................9Overpopulation.......................................................9Peak Oil.............................................................11Climate Change.......................................................14Economic Instability.................................................16Where We're Stuck....................................................213. MODELS FOR CHANGE.................................................25Nonviolence..........................................................25Peaceful Warriorship.................................................30Permaculture.........................................................364. PEACE PRINCIPLES..................................................41of the Entire World..................................................42Our Adversaries......................................................42Physical Force.......................................................425. PEACE PROGRAMS....................................................45Create a Department of Peace.........................................45Conduct a Global Marshall Plan.......................................47Create a Peace Force.................................................49End Military Invasions and Occupations...............................53Close, Convert, or Donate Foreign Military Bases.....................54Phase Out Nuclear Weapons............................................56Stop Arming the World................................................58Reduce Defense Spending..............................................58Convert the Defense Industry.........................................606. FORCES FOR CHANGE.................................................65Citizen Action.......................................................65New Business Models..................................................67Localization.........................................................71Role of Gender.......................................................747. TIMING OF CHANGE..................................................77Phases of Change.....................................................77Possible Change Paths................................................80The Great Turning....................................................80Rate of Change.......................................................82Obstacles to Overcome................................................82Selling Peace........................................................868. OUR CHALLENGE.....................................................89Redefine Success and Happiness.......................................89Develop Community....................................................91Serve Others.........................................................92Visualize Peace......................................................92Follow Your Passion..................................................949. STIRRING THE EMBERS...............................................95Reasons for Optimism.................................................95Takeaway Message.....................................................96AFTERWORD............................................................101ABOUT THE AUTHOR.....................................................103SELECTED REFERENCES..................................................105BUMPER STICKERS FOR WAR..............................................112BUMPER STICKERS FOR PEACE............................................113
Chapter One
1. REFLECTIONS ON WAR
If you wish for peace, understand war. —Sir Basil Liddell Hart, military historian
There are many things to be said about war: its glory and horrors, its causes and effects, and whether there is such a thing as a "just war." Of all the aspects of war, I'm not going to address the most obvious ones. Rather, I want to focus on just a few points that struck me the most in my research and that seem most relevant to this discussion.
Major American Wars
For centuries, nations have used war as their primary tool to provide for security and common defense. The United States is no exception, having participated in our share of conflict, perhaps more than we realize. Since our founding, we have engaged in fourteen major wars, an average of one every seventeen years as shown in Figures 1 & 2. This does not include sixty-five smaller incursions such as the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, the 1989 invasion of Panama, the 1995 intervention in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and ongoing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operations from 1947 to the present. No political party has had a corner on the war market. Of all the presidencies in our country's history, major wars have been fought under both Democratic administrations (sixteen) and Republican (fifteen).
Sometimes as a nation, we felt war was justified (World War II), in some cases we concluded that the war was a mistake (Vietnam), and sometimes our involvement was highly questionable (Iraq). There were even times when we weren't sure why we were there (World War I). Regardless, war has been a steady part of the American experience.
US Military Bases
We have a large network of military bases at home and abroad— about 500 domestic and around 1,000 foreign bases. They range from small outposts to bustling military cities. As an example of how big our foreign bases can be, the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad housed more than 100,000 military personnel and contractors during the Iraq War.
Few other countries have any foreign military bases. Even China, with the world's second largest military budget, has no foreign bases, although it may be forced to change its policy by the ramping up of US bases in the Asia-Pacific region. No foreign country, of course, has any military bases on American soil.
In the Mideast, where two thirds of the world's oil reserves are located, we have twenty-six strategically located air bases as shown in Figure 3. While they are there to ensure our access to oil, their presence creates an interesting dynamic. Consider the situation of Iran. It is surrounded by US bases on all sides and by Afghanistan on its east and Iraq on its west, countries we invaded in 2001 and 2003, respectively. It's the equivalent of Iran surrounding the United States with twenty-six of their military bases, then invading Canada and Mexico. Is it a surprise that they want to develop a nuclear weapon?
Our military is now shifting its focus from the Mideast to Asia and the Pacific, where China is perceived as a major economic threat. Trade officials from the United States and eight Pacific Rim nations are negotiating a new Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement that would "facilitate a favorable and sustainable business environment" in the region. In support of its economic interests, the United States is strengthening...
