| By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 10:20 am: Edit Post |
US Freedom Corps
| By ktgaudette on Thursday, February 21, 2002 - 2:27 pm: Edit Post |
As a Returned PCV from 30 years ago, now based in China,I am concerned, like many others, that the "Freedom Corps" seems like what Sen. Fulbright would call "Arrogance of Power"--USA pursuit of short-term national (unenlightened) self-interest, as the 3rd World poor are generally in worse conditions than when the Peace Corps began.
Is the Peace Corps ready to think BEYOND national/MARKET borders, and see that the current global win-lose zero-sum competition system is a rapid race to the bottom for ALL the nations on the planet?
We need some LATERAL Thinking, beyond this tired WTO nationalism...to enlightened self-interest. The entire planet is suffering TRAUMA. Can't you FEEL IT? Attrempting to "kill evil terrorism" using US military might and consistently accidentally killing civilians, while ignoring fundamental CAUSES of such "terrorism/revolt'...this is like using a hammer to kill masses of mosquitoes, while not thinking about the CAUSE--the stinking swamp of the unsustainagle/unjust international political/economic system.
This seems to be why Pres. Eisenhower warned USA citizens of "the military-industrial complex"--$379 billion budgeted for "national defense" for 2002, with the European Union "only" budgeting $149 billion. Pres. Kennedy likewise warned against the US attempting to enforce a military peace, enforced by a "Pax Americana," as was the practice during the Roman Empire. The practice of Empire is poison to democracy and to peace...and to freedom.
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| By ktgaudette on Thursday, February 21, 2002 - 2:32 pm: Edit Post |
As a Returned PCV from 30 years ago, now based in China,I am concerned, like many others, that the "Freedom Corps" seems like what Sen. Fulbright would call "Arrogance of Power"--USA pursuit of short-term corporate/national (unenlightened) self-interest, as the 3rd World poor are frequently in relatively WORSE conditions than when the Peace Corps began, according to United Nations statistics for Physical Quality of Life Index.
WHY???Is the Peace Corps ready to think BEYOND national/MARKET borders, and see that the current global win-lose zero-sum competition system is a rapid race to the bottom for ALL the nations on the planet?
We need some LATERAL Thinking, beyond this tired WTO corporate nationalism...to enlightened self-interest. The entire planet is suffering TRAUMA. Can't you FEEL IT? Attrempting to "kill evil terrorism" using US military might and consistently accidentally killing civilians, while ignoring fundamental CAUSES of such "terrorism/revolt'...this is like using a hammer to kill masses of mosquitoes, while not thinking about the CAUSE--the stinking swamp of the unsustainagle/unjust international political/economic system.
This seems to be why Pres. Eisenhower warned USA citizens of "the military-industrial complex"--$379 billion budgeted for "national defense" for 2002, with the European Union "only" budgeting $149 billion. Pres. Kennedy likewise warned against the US attempting to enforce a military peace, enforced by a "Pax Americana," as was the practice during the Roman Empire. The practice of Empire is poison to democracy and to peace...and to freedom.
.