President Obama to United Nations September 20, 2016

by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 09/21/16

President Obama to United Nations September 20, 2016

September 20, 2016jsc

On the eve of International Peace Day President Obama gave his final speech to United Nations.

He spoke of humanity defined by a “universal belief” in “liberty, equality, justice and fairness” and noted that this can be done by “expanding our moral imagination” to assure the  safety of all, near and dear, and afar and other.  We are in this together as human global family, and we stand together as one or we shall fail our children’s children.

He correctly identifies safety as the critical variable in his call for peace among nations.  In a time of war one answer to one question could define the outcome of Election 2016.   “What keeps me and my family safe in my bed at night?”  The need for safety deeply embedded in our brain.

His speech given in the fall before Election 2016 and the impact of war nearby as recent “terrorist” activity in New York attests. War assumed to be the future and talk of real peace defined as close to treason. Peace is widely accepted as a naïve proposition in a citizenry indoctrinated to believe war is inevitable and forever.

Perhaps it is this understanding of the public mood and so as not to jeopardize the election of a Democrat, Obama did not call out for a Doctrine of Peace to end war as I wrote in January 2015.

But what he said on September 2016 before the United Nations in many ways the conceptual foundation to build a world at peace through justice. Liberty Equality Justice Fairness for All: this the meme for humanity at peace, freed from the terror of war.

President Obama said this approach to world affairs distilled as his wisdom in the matter of war and peace.

Will we listen?

Avoiding the Age of Catastrophe may be in the balance.