s2-
thanks. that's stuff i've been saying for a long time.
it's common sense and it's civilized. for some reason
it seems we're not ready for that level of civilization.
here's what “Real Solutions for a Safer World” has to say:
Strengthen the force of law, not the law of force.
The terrorists who committed the September 11 attacks
should be brought to justice in a court of law. In the
past, perpetrators of actions similar to these have
been successfully convicted. International tribunals have
prosecuted those guilty of crimes against humanity such
as Serbian general Krstic (who was partially responsible
for the massacre at Srebrenica in 1995), and those
responsible for destroying Pan Am flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland.
Legal prosecution holds criminals accountable, and punishes
the responsible parties, without killing more innocent
civilians.
The US must do its part to strengthen international legal
systems in order for them to be as effective as possible.
The US should pay its back dues to the United Nations (UN)
and work to strengthen international laws on terrorism and
the means to enforce them. The US should also support the
International Criminal Court which will try individuals
accused of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes
against humanity.
Relying on international jurisprudence would have helped
to prevent the high levels of anti-American sentiment
created by the bombing of Afghanistan. This approach
fosters international cooperation and makes the prosecution
of these crimes an international effort, rather than a
unilateral one.
In order to limit the threat of nuclear and other weapons
of mass destruction, the US must ratify the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty, halt its Star Wars plans, and re-affirm
rather than withdraw from the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty
to prevent a new arms race.
The United States should work with Russia and other nuclear
nations to ensure the control of nuclear materials. The US
must increase funding for the Nunn-Lugar program which is a
joint US-Russian program to reduce the threat posed by the
legacy of the Soviet nuclear arsenal and which also
addresses biological and chemical weapons.
Of great concern is the possibility that the US may use
nuclear weapons in a military action. The Defense
Department recommended to President Bush the
use of tactical nuclear weapons as a military option on
September 19, 2001. The United States must take immediate
responsibility for drastically reducing its own arsenal and
halt research and development of new nuclear weapons. The
only way for the world to move past the Cold War relic of
Mutually Assured Destruction is for the country with the
largest nuclear arsenal to take the lead. Abolish nuclear
weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
Justice
Not War
On September 11, the deaths of
thousands of civilians in the
United States created feelings
of sadness, anger, injustice and
helplessness across our nation
and the world. The victims of
this horrible attack must never
be forgotten, and those who are
responsible for their deaths
must be brought to justice.
War, however, is not the best response
to the attacks on the Pentagon
and the World Trade Center.
When political leaders
turned the people’s feelings of
anger, injustice and helplessness
into a call for revenge and
retribution, the cycle of violence
was accelerated rather
than stopped. The war on terrorism
is not an effective way to
make the world, or America,
safer.
End the arms trade and military training programs.
The number of small arms currently in use around the globe
is near 500 million. According to Human Rights Watch, small
arms have killed three million civilians since 1990.
In many cases, the availability of small arms is fueling
local conflicts. The arms trade makes weapons more
available to terrorists, drug traffickers and other violent
factions around the planet.
The US is the planet’s number one arms dealer. Lax
restrictions in US arms sales have created what is called
the boomerang effect — American soldiers find themselves
facing enemies armed with weapons made in the USA.
An important way of restricting the availability of
conventional weapons is through an arms transfers Code
of Conduct. A Code of Conduct would prevent states from
exporting weapons, or providing military aid, to
countries that are undemocratic, that don’t respect human
rights and that are engaged in armed aggression towards
their own citizens or other countries. The European Union
has already adopted its own code of conduct, and Nobel
laureates have launched a campaign for an international
code.
US military training has also become a concern for global
and regional security. The US maintains a number of
military training programs for foreign nationals. The most
famous of these, the U.S. Army’s Western Hemisphere
Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC) - formerly
called the School of the Americas - has produced infamous
human rights abusers who were instructed in torture and
other abusive techniques at the school.
In addition, the US is responsible for training and arming
the likes of Saddam Hussein, Manuel Noreiga, and Osama bin
Laden. This kind of military training must be stopped if we
are to prevent situations in which we find ourselves
fighting against the very people we helped to create.
The U.S. must work toward eliminating the conditions that
sustain terrorism. It is in our best interest to provide
substantial aid to developing nations and to enact policies
that promote human rights.
Widespread starvation and political powerlessness add to
global insecurity — terrorist organizations flourish in
areas of severe human desperation. The months of bombing
in Afghanistan, now estimated to have killed over 4,000
civilians, only fueled further anti-Americanism.
The US is the wealthiest nation in the world, but
contributes less foreign aid per capita than any other
developed nation. The Marshall Plan, in which we rebuilt
the economies of our former foes, is universally
recognized as one of our greatest foreign policy successes.
Strong humanitarian efforts, including food and medical
assistance as well as other aid, will demonstrate
America’s commitment to peace and prosperity for all
nations. This approach undermines terrorist’s power
by facilitating real stability. Build goodwill by
increasing foreign aid.
Contact Congress
Urge your member of
Congress to support
“Real Solutions for a
Safer World.”
peace-action.org
(202) 224-3121
*************************
there's a lot more that needs to be done to rebuild
the enthusiasm of entrepreneurs to the level of the
1990's, including a strong focus on information
technology infrastructure, R&D in new areas of
non-polluting energy production, nano-technology,
bio-tech and medicine, but the above approach to
foreign policy and defense will go a long way toward
creating a better international climate of trust and
hope that will benefit the US and the global economy
greatly.
meanwhile, i'm going to become a buffoon and a sailor
until the US becomes interested in a more civilized
approach to it's global responsibilities. there is
nothing i can do for us until that day.
fer cry sakes, i'm a magician jim, not a doctor! <g>
-el polvo |
