by Courtney Hayes, PEP Youth Engagement Intern
To understand what a peace economy looks like, it is necessary to first define the economy that the United States currently employs – the capitalist military economy. The capitalist military economy is primarily concerned with profits at the expense of people’s wellbeing, and often lives. The United States uses the war on terror and on its own citizens at home to build its power and maintain oppressive systems that hurt the poor, disabled, people of color within the US, and those it deems “unwanted” outside the United States. In turn, the United States builds its hegemony, and corporations profit off the destruction of other countries.
A peace economy would invest in people. Instead of promoting profits and destruction, a peace economy would provide strong support systems for ALL people, but lift up those who have been oppressed for centuries. We would not let our government shut down over fights about healthcare; instead, we would all be guaranteed quality healthcare that benefits us all. Instead of cities spending money on drones, they would be investing in rebuilding our crumbling streets and restoring our infrastructure. We would invest in our public schools instead of letting them close (while at the same time providing tax incentives to companies that profit off of war).
In a peace economy, people like the peers I grew up with would not join the military as a job program. They would have the opportunity to go to follow their dreams and put their creativity, visions, and dreams into action without having to risk their lives – and the lives of people abroad – to do so.
My dad worked at Boeing for over 30 years making tools to build fighter jets. We were comfortable and the job provided a decent income for my family. Unfortunately, as a worker he was not valued for the dedication he had put in for so long, and lost his job only to be injured, never to work in the industry again. The economy we live in continues to fuel money into these corporations that hurt their workers and victims of war abroad – at the same time they make excessive cuts to food assistance programs and health care that would help us out of our situation. In a peace economy, my dad would not have to rely on unreliable companies like Boeing for an income. He would be able to open the restaurant he’s talked about; we would not have to scrape by week to week, while the Pentagon continues to grow.
A peace economy would create opportunities for people to be creative and rebuild the world we live in. Divesting from programs that destroy opportunity is a good place to start; investing in our communities would be even better. I look forward to interning with PEP and helping achieve these goals.
