Connections between economics, peace and a changing world

July 6, 2013
Today I went to see "White House Down" and was reminded how fear of change and lose can cloud the mind.  The underlying political theme of this movie is whether peace can come if all countries agree to stop the purchase and sale of arms.  The question of CIA providing arms to opposing sides which sustains conflict is alluded to along with the stated concern that without the defense contractors in place and producing weapons, our world will be in danger.  In the end, ....... I won't give details... but just say, there is movement for a global reality that many dream about and hope for, but certainly not the defense industry.

What has this to do with economics?  Economics uses terms like growth and capital and the necessity of an economy to grow.  And that healthy growth is viable only when what is being manufactured creates and exchange system... that it needs to be replaced periodically.  Many years ago, during the height of the arms race and cold war, the push to create weapons of mass destruction and push towards a point of mutually assured destruction, happened.  We did reach a point where two superpowers could, at any moment, push buttons and begin actions that within hours would assure the destruction of the world.  And we did realize the need to stop the buildup of arms.  SALT I and SALT II did happen and arms reduction began.

But too many people find their jobs and way of life supported by defense manufacturing.  Defense factories do not produce items which in themselves produce growth or support economic growth.  Each missile that is built costs millions of dollars, and it sits and waits in the hopes that it is never used.  But items that can be bought and sold give the illusion that there is growth and so the United States defense industry buys and sells weapons and calls it a business.  The United States is the largest weapons maker in the world. And much of what is produced leaves this country and contributes to violence in other parts of the world.  In these transactions, weapons purchased by others use funds that could be used to feed, shelter and educate and grow economies.  The purchase of weapons by others actually prevents the growth of economies in the developing world.

We cannot eat metal, we cannot heal with bullets, we cannot create new communities by destroying the land and ways of life with weapons.   We cannot address the challenges of lose of clean water, clean soil, untainted produces with tanks and missiles.

Sustainable economics is about sharing of scarce resources for the good of all.  Capitalist economics seems about distribution of resources to protect one's' power and assumes that someone else is going to take it away... and an enemy is born.  Sustainable economics is not about enemies, it is about looking to create a world where all have enough to live and be creative.  It is about realizing that earth is dependent on our caring about its survival.  It is about our survival being dependent on the survival of the planet.

War economics is not sustainable.  Choose Life.  Choose Peace.