Peace Economy Project Peace Statement
We are concerned citizens living mostly in the St. Louis region who believe that the United States must further reduce the amount that it devotes to the military. Like citizens in other communities across America we recognize that even as fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria is gradually curtailed, the US will continue to have obligations in what remains a very dangerous world. Working closely with other nations in the international community, the US should do its part to address those dangers.
However, it is clear to us that:
- Our military budgets ($700 billion in FY 2018, and $716 billion in FY 2019) far exceed our security needs. Russia allocates less than $100 billion into their military and China less than $200 billion into theirs. Not to mention the expenditures of our many allies. In fact, our huge weapons acquisition programs run the risk of provoking China and Russia as they perceive the balance of power turn against them.
- The possibility of war with North Korea and/or Iran depends more on our president and his advisers, than it does on the leaders of those two countries. Along with the international community we should attempt to convince North Korea and Iran to behave responsibility, but not at the expense of war.
- The $1.2 trillion plus proposed to upgrade our nuclear weapons and their delivery systems is dangerous. A return to low grade tactical “nukes” runs the risk of triggering a nuclear incident by one of our own “Dr. Strangeloves” or by a confused commander on the other side. Please advance legislation that would require more than just the president to press the nuclear button.
- The United States has been running an unsustainable annual federal budget deficit resulting in tremendous growth in the national debt. The collapse of the 2011 Budget Control Act, with its sequester requirements, is good news for those advocating more military and domestic programs, but not so much for our children and grandchildren.
- The United States faces a huge increase in elderly people in the coming years, most of whom will depend upon Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid for their basic needs. A 2014 Census Bureau report projects a growth in those 65 and older from 43 million (2012) to 84 million in 2050, as the US baby boomers age.
- The United States is not currently meeting its infrastructure, research, educational, and poverty reduction needs. Additional resources allocated to these and related domestic programs central to our future prosperity.
In sum, we believe that America can only address its debt, its growing elderly population, its safety net requirements, and its domestic investment obligations, by substantially reducing our military budget. As the Peace Economy Project has stated in the past, we don’t need a new fleet of 10 air craft carriers, expected to cost $120 billion dollars. We don’t need the F-35 next generation fighter plane that will cost $407 billion dollars, with a operational cost of $40,000 per hour. The same is true for replacement nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, a new bomber, and many other high-tech weapon and communication systems. We don’t need the 20 percent excess capacity in today’s US bases, or the roughly 800 US military bases in 80 countries around the world
We urge you to remember President Eisenhower’s January 17, 1961 farewell speech:
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a theft. The cost of one modern, heavy bomber is this: a modern, brick school in more than 30 cities.”
If you would like to sign our peace statement, then email us your name, the state you live in, and your zip code at: peaceeconomyproject@gmail.com. PEP will visit our congressman and senator and voice your opinion to them. Together, we can change the amount of treasury dedicated to defense.
To sign on to our peace statement: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2D2GPGH
