The Age of Peace
How Can We Obey The Law Against War?
by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 04/08/17
How Can We Obey the Law Against War?
Global Consciousness / Global Conversation
by
JanStephen Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
How can we obey the law against war? When we believe in—and trust—this law to keep us safe from war?
We are beginning the 21st Century with more of humanity freed from war through law than ever before, yet catastrophic war continually looms on the horizon.
What to do?
Ending War is a Global Project
The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928—the law against war; the lesson of World War I to end all war—was agreed upon international law. The United States and much of the “we” of humanity are signees.
Yet, at the beginning of the 21st century, the “we” of humanity give this law no global authority.
With no global will, the “we” of humanity cannot enforce this law. Why? Because the necessary and sufficient conditions for obeying this law are not present in global consciousness.
The sufficient condition before we can obey any law is belief in the efficacy of the law. Most of us do not rob banks because we believe robbing banks is wrong. We believe and empower the law. Most of us stop on red because we fear the negative consequences. The necessary condition for the “how can we obey” is fear of law. We fear and give law enforcement authority.
Belief and fear are the sufficient and necessary conditions of the mindset of consciousness before the ego—in whatever manifestation—will submit to international global authority to end war. Unfortunately, this understanding is dependent on a state of global consciousness not yet present in human development.
Since the “how” is dependent on the “when,” we ponder when might these conditions be present? What shock is needed to energize the “when”? What cosmic slap is required to awaken the global imagination and change in consciousness Einstein foretold to avoid World War III and the age of catastrophe to follow?
Humanity Is War Consciousness Dominant
Since September 11, 2001, I have asked 400 individuals about their interest in ending war. To my surprise, even among most peace activists, there is little interest in ending war. In fact, there is general mistrust in the law against war. Many scoffed at the very idea: too big and can’t be done.
A preliminary study of beliefs and attitudes (N=300) of Americans confirmed a probable thesis: ending war is a hard sell. If this thesis is confirmed, it appears that Americans do not trust the justice applied in law to keep them safe from war. The concept of humanity freed from the terror of war seems foreign to most people. Some are down-right terrified by the idea.
The State of Humanity in 2017
Combined together, the Age of Terrorism, unending guerilla war, and the Age of Climate Change—in geologic time, a short hot age followed by a long cold age—will inevitably converge to generate the “when” required to set in motion the “how”! We know not the hour. The Arab Spring on a global scale!
In preparation, what can we do? Perhaps the most salient need is to initiate a global conversation. Global peacemakers dedicated to ending war can lay out a blueprint for law dominant global consciousness. In the subsequent awakening, global citizens may finally be ready to vote for leaders who obey the law against war.
Thus, the dream will become reality: the Age of Peace when humanity, freed of war, moves one measure closer to the Kingdom on Earth which the sacred teachings reference: They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. (Isaiah 2:4).
Conclusions
Humanity is war conscious dominant.
Because humanity is war conscious dominant, protesting weapons of war will not end war. These protests could be judged as not helpful to ending war.
This is the paradox of peace: humanity without war, humanity at peace from war, is forever humanity’s prayer, but, “we” do not believe freedom from war can become reality. Unbelief—the law against war—is not to be trusted. The idea is judged as “naïve”.
For these reasons, rational arguments against war will never convince the “we” of our global population to give up war. The negatives against war beg the question of what will keep my family and me safe from the terror of war. Yet, there is a strong “gut” resistance to ending war even though many wish it otherwise.
In summary, how can we obey the law against war to end war forever? Before the “how” must be the “when.” Before the “when,” the “we”—the global peace makers to end war—must embrace law dominant consciousness to end war. We can hope to be the leaven in the bread of the change in global consciousness to come.
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What Does Post Rapid Climate Change Look Like?
by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 11/15/16
What Does Post Rapid Climate Change Look Like?
October 19, 2016jsc
This is our probable climate future headline: A Short Hot Age Followed By a Long Cold Age.
Forecasters have developmental models for us to see the levels of catastrophe in our future given various parameters of climate change. What measures taken by humanity to meet the challenges of rapid climate change will influence the outcome. For example:
U.S tax dollars are funding our military to build the next generation tracking site to keep track of the 200,000 plus pieces of junk in near space … the powers that be decided to build this multibillion dollar facility on an atoll … at sea level in the Pacific.
I hope we in majority agree this is good use of tax dollars … I would rather not have pieces of that junk falling on my head … without warning.
But the choice of place seems unwise to me given the evidence of seas rising, damaging and flooding the site… to put such a thing in such a place. The explanation, as I understand it, is military planners did not see the evidence of climate change as relevant in the contractual negotiations.
I do understand there are near earth military options that are part of the decision making, so the issues get complex.
Powerful voices and significant numbers of people have been in denial of rapid climate change and our military reflected this denial even as it was doing its job. This denial appears to be lifting, parts of our military now figures climate change into its projected war plans. How much, how fast and what is the outfall of rapid climate change is a matter of crunching the numbers. This is a known unknown.
Hidden from view in the denial is the question: what is next in climate, post rapid climate change? Exactly how our short hot age ends, too soon to tell, but it will end and afterwards relative to geological time, a “long and cold” climate is next. The unknown known is how bad that climate will it get?
Einstein foresaw a catastrophic future for humanity on present course. He did not know what WWIII would look like but foresaw WWIV fought with sticks and stones. The global consciousness needed to prevent this worst case scenario still nascent.
The choices are straight forward. Does humanity put in place the institutions to peacefully resolve in a court of law all injustices big and small? A humanity ruled by law, not by war, no different than we as a people a nation of laws, imperfect as that is, still better than the perfection of war.
People ask what I can do to change the course of history away from war.
One thing is for sure, war will be ended only when humanity stands up and demands leaders to end war forever.
In the Name of Peace, just one small thing to make a big difference … lend your signature in support of a concept whose time has come.
End War Forever.
One billion people, one by one … a movement to end war will be born. Our post rapid climate change future, the future our great great-children will inherit is in the balance and dependent on your willingness to risk your signature.
Enemies Reach Out In Peace
by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 11/15/16
Enemies Reach Out In Peace
November 2, 2016jsc
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. Math 5, 44
If enemies cannot yet forgive as Love commands, surely a measure of love is talking to each other. Person to person in the safety of virtual space, enemies reaching out and listening to each other to build the bonds of trust needed to stop the killing and end our war weary age, peacefully.
The alternative could well be World War III.
In that spirit I have been praying for guidance in the matter of my duty as a devoutly Roman Catholic Christian to reach out in love to those who define me as enemy, domestic and foreign.
Today God answered my prayer as I read, *“Breaking with nearly 15 years of public silence, Sayed Muhammad Tayeb Agha, who until recently was the Taliban’s chief negotiator and head of their political commission, issued a letter about peace talks to the insurgency’s supreme leader over the summer and discussed it in an interview with The New York Times this month, his first on the record with a Western publication in years.”
It is my intent to reach out to these persons and others … as enemies reach out in peace in the safety of virtual space.
Welcome to the Global Peace Conference table, a sacred virtual space dedicated to ending current and future wars.
Let the listening begin:
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.
Black Lives Matter: Empathy versus Sympathy
by Jan Stephen James Cavanaugh, Ph.D. on 07/19/16
Black Lives Matter: Empathy versus Sympathy
Let Us Awaken
July 19, 2016jsc
In empathy I can walk the pain that helps me understand why young black men trained for war “over there” returning “over here” facing grave injustices and seeing no serious effort, no collective will on the part of “we the people” to correct what is so wrong, feeling hopeless, take justice into their own hands.
Blue men vs black men are but pawns in a bigger struggle. Law enforcement and young black men the cutting edge of this conflict between those who have and those who do not. That 1% of us has more than the other 99% of our shared wealth, unjust. This state of nation is anti-Constitutional by standards of the Preamble. The consequence is “war” between the disenfranchised and the franchised that unaddressed will continue to grow and could be our future. Marx and Jesus on the same page in this matter.
In sympathy I cannot support black anger directed at ambushing and killing law enforcement officers. An eye for an eye is not the way of love … no good will come of becoming the thing they protest.
That such a high percentage of officers step outside just law enforcement is a police force feeling under manned, under trained and under assault … jittery men with jittery fingers … puts us all in danger. Just law cost what it costs. Our policing, best practices to maintain the peace, must become the most advanced in the world.
Resolution found not in a more militarized police patrolling ever more poor areas, err we become a police state, but rather resolution in opening our hearts and wallets. Ending poverty and providing neighborhood policing the most cost effective way of keeping everyone safe from the terror of war both locally and globally. A lot of young men with nothing productive to do to earn a decent living and little change of chance for mobility … are the fodder for war.
Our enemies rejoice at our turning our violent natures onto one another. War and more war "as far as the eye can could see" as Tennyson wrote.
Black Lives Matter the cutting edge of our consciousness. Let us Awaken.
