Peace Through Diplomacy Over War
Another reason to choose peace over war is for the people that are killed and their families suffer.
“We choose to serve,” veteran and former Marine stationed in Afghanistan, Gus Biggio said. “And when we choose to serve, sometimes chance chooses us. Every deployed service member leaves behind someone who cares, someone who, when giving one last hug before their warrior ships out, feels their pride clash with the fear that this last hug might be the last hug. After that, every call from an unknown number, every unexpected knock on the door, reignites the constant worry in the daily lives of those on the home front, making them shudder at the prospect of what might be.” The link to Biggio’s full article is found below.
Even though they chose to serve, their families suffer the loss and they experience much grief, and this occurs sometimes over problems that can be solved through diplomacy.
The final reason to pursue peace is freedom. The people’s freedom should prevail over the power of the central authority, be it the government or regime that it is in power. War can bring on tax increases, and loss of liberties such as the surveillance carried out by the National Security Agency following 9/11 and the Patriot Act.
For information on the NSA and Patriot Act go here: https://www.aclu.org/issues/national-security/privacy-and-surveillance/nsa-surveillance
If we didn’t go to war, more unity could be brought to the world as people might accept each other and learn from each other, rather than be judged or stereotyped based on where they came from, their religion, ethnicity, culture, economic system, or whatever it may be.
A way to resolve war is to have meetings and debate differences and come to diplomatic solutions to build a lasting peace, without risking millions of human lives (example: WWII and the creation of the European Union as a peace project).
Thomas Jefferson said “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none.” If people in power continue to do what was done in the past, there will be consequences and wars will extend even more, such as Vietnam and the war in Iraq. The Central Intelligence Agency uses the term “blowback” when it comes to unintended consequences resulting from foreign policy and acts of war. This is discussed in the work “Blowback” by Chalmers Johnson, a national bestseller.
Also, we have to look on the other side, this doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to the threats of the world and being unprepared. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt said, “Walk quiet and carry a big stick.” That means don’t provoke but be prepared. Choosing diplomacy over war does not mean a country sacrifices its national defense, but it is important to remember the words from a founding father, Thomas Jefferson, in his first Inaugural Address,”Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.”