Don’t put all your eggs into one basket is the farmer’s wife sage advise. Why? Because along the bumpy road the weight of the eggs can crush those on the bottom or should the basket fall off the wagon you loose the whole lot, I suppose. I don’t know. I’ve never raised chickens nor harvested eggs. What I do understand, however, is that good financial planners always advise you to diversify. Don’t put all your investments in only one instrument of investment – that is if you have the capacity to make investments.
Recently heard a news interview of Rabbi / Dr. Marc Gopin of Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC). He was commenting on Vice President “Dick” Chaney’s visit to Palestine/Israel a week back. I greatly value Dr Gopin’s insights as he often lays his own life on the line reaching for peace in the Middle East. The one thing that resonates directly with me, as it speaks to my own experience, is the statement that our nation uses a single-point solution to all her conflicts – the use of force or the threat of force. I believe this is so because we have placed all our eggs in the one basket called Security. Ever notice how all our politicians beat the national security drum? Or, ever wonder why the only governing document for our relationships around the world is called the National Security Document? Who is responsible for developing our nation’s National Peacemaking Document?
Heard an interview program with Scott Ritter broadcast on KATO Radio (Radio Taos, New Mexico) –Sorry I don’t have a link for you of his book Waging Peace. If you remember, Scott was the lead inspector in Iraq (pre-Iraq war). He has been quite vocal about the Administration’s failed strategy not allowing the inspections to continue. As I see it, protraction in that instance was an excellent peacemaking strategy. Any rate, Scott was asked if the US needed a US Department of Peace. He quickly said: We already have one! It is called US Department of State. He went to elaborate that the vision within State does not allow their diplomats to be who they need to be as ambassadors of peace. Well, that is my take on his comment. Sorry Scott Ritter if I have wrong. Even so, this has a ring of truth to it.
Thus it appears the US Department of State is the agency that is responsible to draft a national peacemaking document identifying the peacemaking capabilities we as a nation need to invest in – investments needed to advance the cause of peace. This of course will be a threat to our national defense (security) – so will be the argument. My response is this: Putting all our investments into the making for war is the greater threat. You know, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. We will become what we invest our lives in.
Posted by John Fair 