In our quest for World Peace the fundamental nature of Humanity must be taken into consideration.
As a species we are far from perfect. We are greedy, vindictive, and spiteful; we hold grudges and engage in vendettas which can last generations. We lie, cheat and steal to get what we want and are jealous, envious, and covetous of what we don’t possess. We can be brutally savage, participating in the most heinous atrocities against our enemies, while being tender and loving to our friends and families. We can be fiercely loyal or faithlessly treacherous. We are walking, talking contradictions. Some of us are sinners, some of us are saints—most of us fall somewhere between the two—a little of both.
Unless you lean heavily toward the saintly side, the majority of us don’t do anything for anyone unless we feel there is something in it for ourselves. “What’s in it for me?” is the first question usually asked. Altruism, unfortunately, seems the aberration rather than the rule.
One would think the basic concept of World Peace to be a universal desire; to live in a world free from fear for what the future may hold; to live in a world where Human Rights is a universal constant; where safety and security is a given rather than an elusive goal; where cooperation between nations supplants unbridled competition; where the long-term good of Humanity out-weighs short-term national advantage.
For most of us this holds true, this is what we long for. For a small minority of us, not so much. Unfortunately, for that small minority, the 1% who actually run things, World Peace ranks fairly low on their agenda.
For us to achieve World Peace we must convince the other 99% that it is unquestionably in their/our self-serving best interest—their enlightened self-interest.
We currently spend approximately 2 trillion dollars per year on our aggregate global defense budgets. If World Peace were a reality, a portion of those monies saved through the downsizing of national defense needs could be spent developing the undeveloped world: hospitals, schools, transportation and information infrastructure would benefit directly the citizens of those countries. For those in the developed world the benefit would accrue in supplying the goods and services used in the process, not to mention the increased markets and business opportunities which would inevitably open as the standard of living rose, world-wide in a climate of peace, stability and economic certainty.
Who would lose? Arms dealers, despots and defense contractors who won’t switch from swords to plowshares. The military-industrial complex was a necessary manifestation of our chaotic past—its formitable ability to influence policy and perpetuate an interminable global arms race has outlived its purpose.
Most of us win, very few of us lose—enlightened self-interest, seems like a no-brainer to me…
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