Post No. 41: Applying Power for Peace: A Plea to American Citizens

A poem to start this post:

Sometimes my heart aches

When I gaze across the sea

At death and destruction

That doesn’t need to be

You say it can’t be helped

We should stay in our lane

How can we ensure peace?

To get involved is insane

I want to light a candle

That dispels the gloom

Where darkness ends

Hope has room to bloom

Let’s plant a garden in the storm

Nurture it with our patient power

Persist against orthodoxy

When it’s cynical and sour

We’re involved when war erupts

And it’s destructive waves

Engulf countries far and wide

Let’s not flounder helplessly

We have the power to decide

There are options to bring peace

If will and power exists

To stop destruction in Ukraine

In Gaza let’s stop the pain

If you are like me

It is peace you thirst

Benefiting everyone

Even America First

The effective application of power can create peace in the world.  The United States is by far the most powerful nation on earth.  If the United States effectively uses its power, it can lead others toward peace.  The United States is able to exert diplomatic, economic and moral persuasion to show the way toward peace.  It does not necessarily have to involve the active use of military intervention, but it needs to be a possibility for the effective exercise of power.

The wrong way to apply power is to misuse it for geopolitical advantage.  This is what happened in the invasions of Afghanistan and especially in Iraq.  These military invasions were unprovoked and rationalized on misleading reasons.  In both cases neocons (war mongers) in the U.S. wanted to exercise American power, with seemingly good intentions, and were not deterred by any evidence other than that which supported their case for invasion.  There was no urgency to invade Iraq, even if there was concern over weapons of mass destruction. The Bush Administration stoked the fears of the American people to get them to follow along. Invading Afghanistan because the existing government didn’t give us what we wanted (Bin Laden’s location) was a poor excuse for the death and destruction it caused.  These invasions by the U.S. military resulted in anywhere from 200,000 to 400,000 violent civilian deaths due to the initial invasion and fighting against the local insurgents over the many years of the occupations.  Indirect deaths due to disease, displacement and destroyed infrastructure is estimated to be in the many millions.  This, obviously, is not an effective way to use power by a powerful nation to create peace in the world.

These invasions have left the United States with less moral credibility.   I cringe at the memory of how most Americans and the media heralded Dick Cheney’s “shock and awe” as we bombed Baghdad in 2003.  Former Vice-President Dick Cheney is the father of Liz Cheney, inexplicably now loved by Democrats. For those who were in favor of or indifferent to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and now are incensed at the present Administration’s peace initiatives (for whatever reason), I simply ask for a period of reflection.

Presently, the current administration is making effective use of American power in an ATTEMPT to create peace.  It is very unorthodox, perhaps it could even be described as “bonkers”.  It may or may not work but it is a correct exercise of power.  Let’s examine what is happening currently.

Middle East and Gaza:  The Trump administration has given full-throated support to Israel that the Hamas terrorists will not rule Gaza.  These are extreme, idealogical terrorists who would not hesitate to blow Israel or any Western country off the face of the planet, if they could.  They indoctrinate their extreme Islamist ideology and hatred of Jews to the young people of Gaza.  There is no peace with them in power anywhere.  With U.S. support, there is now no equivocation that Hamas must go.  Until now neighboring Arab nations were willing to let Hamas periodically terrorize Israel and condemn Israel for any action they took in response.  Trump’s proposal to create peace is definitely unorthodox and most would say bonkers.  He proposes that neighboring Arab countries step up and provide housing and support for Gazans who would relocate to their countries.  The U.S. would then coordinate massive reconstruction efforts to rebuild Gaza, which he feels has tremendous potential because of it’s 24 miles of beautiful coastline along the Mediteranian. Given the Arab nations previous positions on Israel and Palestine, no sane person would think that this would be possible.  In addition, the idea of relocating people living in an area for many, many decades sounds a lot like ethnic cleansing.  His plan is bonkers on its face.  But … let’s look at what is happening because he put forward this bonkers proposal, backed by American power, in an effort to move the ball toward peace.

The Arab countries are meeting as I write this to develop their own plan for peace.  Until now they were content to let the conflict on or near their borders fester and intimidate Israel.  There are now rumblings in agreement by the Arabs that Hamas cannot stay in power.  We don’t know what will be the result of these actions by many countries that are now actively seeking a solution to peace.  I suggest you should root for a peaceful solution that the surrounding Arab nations help to create.

Iran is integral to the problems in the Middle East since they supply money and arms to Islamist extremists who all hate Israel and want it gone.   The new Administration has joined Israel in stating that Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear capability.  If this were to happen it would destabilize the whole Middle East, start a nuclear race among other Middle Eastern countries, threaten the existence of Israel, and possibly start a nuclear war. Israel has shown it has air superiority over Iran and, with U.S. support, would not hesitate to eradicate Iran’s nuclear sites before they become operational.  At the same time the Administration is reaching out to Iran to start peaceful negotiations. President Trump has suggested that Iran can become a prosperous nation if it gives up its nuclear ambitions and stops promoting terrorism in the Middle East.

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Let’s start with information from Wikipedia regarding this topic:

“Russo-Ukraininan War:  The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014.  Following Ukraines’s Revolution of Dignity, Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas War.  These first eight years of conflict also included naval incidents and cyber warfare.  In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and began occupying more of the country starting the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.  This has resulted in a refugee crisis and tens of thousands of deaths.”

An invasion by a powerful nation to takeover the territory of a less powerful nation should be fully condemned, and it has been.  The U.S. and Europe have been absolute in their condemnation of Russia.  They also have provided Ukraine with military equipment in order to defend themselves, and placed major sanctions on Russia. Is there any gray area in this? No, just as there should not be any gray area in the U.S. invasions, despite the rationale for these invasions.  A part (not all) of Russia’s rationalization can be seen in the Wikipedia article.  The Donbas (Eastern part of Ukraine bordering Russia) had “separatists” (fellow Ukarainians) who were dismayed by the “Revolution of Dignity” or Euromaidan Revolution in 2014.  This revolution, started in Maidan square in Kiev, resulted in the violent takeover of the Ukrainian parliament and other government buildings forcing the Russian-leaning president to flee.  This president was recognized internationally as the legitimately elected President of the Ukrainian democracy.  In the Eastern part of Ukraine (where separatists rebelled against Kiev) most people speak Russian and follow the Russian orthodox religion and feel close ties to Russia.  Too bad Russia, your invasion is still immoral and should never have happened or been allowed to have happen.

The question is should we continue to arm Ukraine and  further the death and destruction with the hope that Ukraine will eventually win over a much larger enemy?  Or should we try to find a peaceful solution that all can live with?  As I write this, there is talk of finding a peaceful solution from many fronts.  The U.S. is currently meeting with Russia to start the process, and Zelensky has moved from his absolutist position that only a complete victory will satisfy Ukraine.  Even European leaders have been prodded to action and are also meeting to develop their response regarding a possible peaceful solution.  I hope that the reader sees this as a good thing, and not as some horrible thing president Trump is doing because they think he only wants more money, power or is in thrall to dictators, which is what he aspires to be.

If you have read this far, then there is hope.  Do you want peace in the world?  Do you want the United States to use its immense power and influence in a peaceful, diplomatic, and economic way to advance the cause of peace?  Or would you rather the country use its power in a more violent way by actively using military intervention by supplying arms to combatants or boots on the ground?  Stopping these wars and creating peace is not only good for the countries involved but also for the U.S. and the world.  If you want peace, then I urge you to be supportive of the actions, with evident flaws, the country is taking to start the process.