Deepak Chopra keeps the light burning

Here is an excerpt from an article by Deepak Chopra called "Dear Mr. President: Make This a Real Peace Prize" as seen on HuffPost. The whole article is worth reading. Chopra is not afraid of wishful thinking, somehow is not too jaded to keep pressing for action. The rest of us tire so easily... Maybe that's Chopra's job.

He points out something I was slow to recognize--that this was a strategic chess move on the behalf of all Europeans, and not without great risk.

"An air of pleased embarrassment is emanating from the White House today. It may be seen that this was really the Nobel Speech Prize. The Oslo committee clearly wanted to jog some elbows, particularly European ones. President Obama has made all the right moves on many fronts -- nuclear disarmament, global warming, a reach-out to the Muslim world.

This might alternatively be called the Nobel Relief Prize, as the rest of the world breathes a sigh that the U.S. is no longer a unilateral, belligerent power. Simply to back away from the military overreach of the Bush era is reason to celebrate.

But a shadow hangs over the Nobel, thanks to its record of futility. A glaring example would be all the prizes given for negotiating a peace in the Middle East that never came. Attempts at peace are laudable, and perhaps they are the best we can do much of the time, but Obama should aim higher."

"...It's in his power to make this a real peace prize.

Because he's a sitting president, he's one of the few recipients with global power. And he sits atop a massive -- mega-massive, if you will -- military budget. The two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan should be object lessons in peace-making. If he has learned anything from these two conflicts, which are futile, impoverishing, and seemingly endless, Obama could lay down the following policies:

--Cutting America's nuclear stockpile immediately by 90%.

--Fighting no wars without a strong array of willing allies.

--Turning any conflict into a peacekeeping mission.

--Initiating a draft for future wars so that a tiny slice of the American population, generally the poorest and least educated, doesn't bear the burden of sacrifice alone.

--Dramatically curtailing future defense budgets.

--Ending America's supremacy in arms dealing."

"... Peace begins with those who have the power to make peace. Obama stands in a unique position in this regard. Even though we've turned the corner from Bush's reckless belligerence, avowing peace isn't the same as action. The bald truth is that much of the world fears America, and our politicians and generals like it that way. But in an age of globalism, it's not feasible to want worldwide cooperation on climate change while holding all the cards in weapons. Fear doesn't fit well with cooperation."

Read the entire post here.

May we find the energy to keep hoping.