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Jeopardize Our Military and Establish a Department of Peace: National Suicide or a Joke?
Guest Column | By Paul M. Weyrich | October 28, 2008
Many
conservatives agree that since the mid-20th Century the Federal
Government has grown too large, its bloated bureaucracies unaccountable to the
American people and its oversight too broad vis-à-vis its Constitutional
prerogatives. Unfortunately, Congress soon may add a new bureaucracy to the
Federal Government. And this would not be another run-of-the-mill bureaucracy
but a perilous threat to America’s
future.
Representative
Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) has proposed H.R. 808, the Department of Peace and
Non-Violence Act. The bill would establish a “Department of Peace and
Non-Violence…headed by a Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence appointed by the
President with the advice and consent of the Senate.” The mission of the
Department would be to…“hold peace as an organizing principle; endeavor to
promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; and develop
policies that promote national and international conflict prevention,
non-violent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and
structured mediation of conflict.” H.R. 808 also would establish within the
Department an “Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace and Non-violence [to]
provide assistance and make recommendations to the Secretary and the President
concerning intergovernmental policies relating to peace and non-violent conflict
resolution; a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace and Non-violence; [and]
Peace Day.” The purpose of Peace Day would be to urge all citizens to observe
and celebrate the blessings of peace and on that day to strive to create
peace.
While this may
sound like a joke, the bill currently has 70 co-sponsors. And it appears that
some liberal Members of Congress eagerly anticipate establishing such a
Cabinet-level department. Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) recently told a
local newspaper that the Democratic Majority in the next Congress may slash the
budget for the Department of Defense by up to 25%, thereby eviscerating the
American military and leaving the Nation weak and defenseless. Of course, with
the new Department of Peace and Non-Violence (DPN-V), perhaps financed by the
funds cut from the Department of Defense, America
would have no need of a military. Direct diplomatic talks between the DPN-V and
“rational” authoritarians like Vladimir Putin, Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad would solve all international
problems.
One can imagine
Patrick Henry, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Adams and
Thomas Jefferson, among other Founders, arguing strenuously against such a
dangerous and naive absurdity. Those historical men of great genius and patient
deliberation were willing to sacrifice their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to
violently resist a government which had become “an absolute tyranny,” in the
words of the Declaration of Independence.
The
establishment of the Department of Peace and Non-Violence would be an egregious
mistake for America’s security, its international
relations and the safety of the free world. While the expenditures of the
Department of Defense certainly are worth debating (there are many which could
be reduced, reorganized or cut), it would be difficult for America
to recover from a 25% reduction in our defense budget and the concurrent
creation of the Department of Peace and Non-Violence. Government bureaucracies
are notoriously hard to eliminate once created. Americans would do well to
oppose H.R. 808 and whatever form it may take in the next, 111th,
Congress. Its sponsors may not be joking.
Paul Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
© This column is the property of the Free Congress Foundation and may not be reproduced without their permission. For comments and inquiries, contact Phyllis E. Hughes at . Visit our website at http://www.FreeCongress.org.
Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views of Accuracy in Media or its staff.
7 Comments | Post a Comment
For the truth about the U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence - view the bill at http://www.congress.org HR808
Not only is Congress standing behind this bill, but tens of thousands of Americans are too.
I will read further, but of course, on the surface it sounds strange.
The fact is, though, whatever we do to change the destructive direction of this country will have to be different.
We have been at war since WWII, some pretty big, some just little wars - all over the globe. It has made military suppliers very wealthy and their politicians.
The cost is unimaginable, money wise. The cost in American lives is unacceptable, and the cost of innocent lives around the globe is just mind boggling.
And - worst of all - it doesn’t seem to be working.
Yes, we were constantly threatened with imminent attacks from - well, someone. It kept us all afraid not to go along with the various administrations over the years. Over the years, different boogeymen have been presented and different wars fought.
So, now we find this country, bankrupt. In debt to a communist country for the money to throw this last war.
We find ourselves unable to even produce the necessities of life for our fellow man.
We find our financial institutions destroyed. The outcome may very well be a global financial system.
While our government uses American soldiers, American monies to further the agenda of globalist corporations, our country is declining at a very alarming rate.
Why not give something else a thought?
Of course, it won’t mean big government, no bid contracts - so it probably will be denounced out of hand - and trounced on. I mean, really. We can’t have any action that cuts out the obscene profit-making corporations—can we?
If the Democratic government does create a Department of Peace and Non-Violence then the job of Secretary of Peace and Non-Violence should probably go to Bill Ayers or his wife. Or maybe we could have the first Cabinet Co-Secretariat.
I would also like to see a Departmant of National Self-Hatred and Guilt. Or if not a Department, maybe a Bureau or Agency, or at least a Special Advisor to the President. Rev. Wright should be the top dog here.
A Department of NSHG would be preferred over the smaller entities, of course, as the larger organization would allow for a greater number of new Presidential appointees (payback for especially generous Obama supporters) and require significantly more tax revenue (or debt) for its funding.
Mrs. Obama could probably play at least a symbolic role in this area (National Self-Hatred & Guilt) as well.
National Suicide or joke?
Paul, we’ll leave the jokes to you. You’re HILARIOUS!
GT-
Please leave the sarcasm to those who are able to employ same. (see post # 1)
GP,
Wow. Thanks for your kind words of encouragement and appreciation.
Was I just not being sarcastic enough for you, or did I fall short of true sarcasm somehow?
Or were you just tweaked that I chose Ayers, Wright, and/or Mrs. Obama as targets for my pathetic attempt at sarcasm?
Oops, sorry. I’d better leave irony to those who can employ it—I admit I’ve had very little practice ironing. (But in certain circles my puns are notorious. They are, after all, alleged to be the lowest form of humor—falling just below sarcasm.)
GT
stick to the puns. I have heard them referred to as being simultaneously the highest and lowest form of humor, and I concur. When they’re bad, they’re good, and when they’re terrible they’re GREAT!
October 28 at 6:56 pm | #1 | Link
The vast power of Rep. Kucinich, already great, is growing still more oppressive! Not only does the congressman run for the office of president every four years, now he wants to push American foreign and national security policy in a dangerous and untried new direction. We must stop him and his 70 supporters in the Congress before it is too late. The idea of a Dept. of Peace should terrify every red-blooded American. But such a monstrous move can be halted. The other members of the House of Reps should use their Constitutional powers to vote that the United States is in a continual state of war. Remember, as the war votes of 1812, 1846 and 1917 made clear, only a bare majority is required. There is no need to declare war on any particular country. (Read the Constitution if you doubt this.) Remember: WAR IS PEACE! TRUTH IS LIES! IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH!