Back to the Q & A archive.

Rolling Cyber Debate Question for John Hagelin from November 3, 2000
From Web White & Blue (http://www.webwhiteblue.org)

Question:
The phone rings at 3 a.m. There's been a military coup in Moscow. Russian troops have overrun the Baltic states and are massing on the Ukraine border. China announces support for the Russian action and warns the U.S. not to intervene. What do you do?
Submitted from Andrew from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, via USATODAY.com

Answer:
This question requires a two-part answer.

As I have stated earlier in this online debate, our military forces should not be put at risk in situations that they cannot control, or engage in wars they cannot win. Only if a U.S. military presence can prevent widespread bloodshed and loss of innocent lives, only if our mission is clear and our objectives achievable, only if our presence in the region is requested, and only if our presence respects the sovereignty of nations would I consider deploying U.S. forces.

In the scenario given here, our NATO allies would certainly request an immediate increase in American military presence abroad, both to honor our 1997 NATO partnership agreement with the Ukraine and to protect against a potential invasion of Poland. Such deployment of U.S. forces in the cause of peace--to prevent further invasion of sovereign nations while we pursued all diplomatic avenues with Russia to restore peace to the Balkan region--would be necessary to honor our long-term commitments to our allies.

But the scenario of this question ignores the existence of proven preventive approaches to diffuse regional stress BEFORE it breaks out into violence and war--just as governments around the world have ignored such approaches.

Rising tensions among warring factions are the driving force behind social conflict. Negotiated settlements and paper treaties alone provide no firm foundation for peace. It is first necessary to address the tension and bitterness that have built up over generations. Only in an atmosphere of peace is it politically feasible for leaders to conclude a peaceful resolution to an otherwise unresolvable conflict.

Extensive research, published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, shows that such tensions can be effectively diffused through conflict remediation. Management of societal stress through the collective application of a widely researched stress reduction program known as Transcendental Meditation by a small subportion of a population has been used successfully on at least seven occasions to reduce violence and open warfare in the Middle East and in dozens of trouble spots throughout the world.

When governments willfully ignore the latest research and scientific conclusions concerning the root cause of violence and social conflict, they throw away the opportunity to save thousands of lives and salvage regional and global peace--to create victory before war.

Recognizing America's recent failures to prevent conflict and promote lasting peace through military intervention alone, I would support a "prevention wing" in the military--a true peacekeeping force trained to diffuse regional tensions among warring factions, using proven nonviolent methods of conflict resolution.

I would also create an immediate shift in U.S. foreign policy away from intervention and military aid, towards a more life-supporting policy, offering technical assistance in crucial areas such as business, entrepreneurism, education, sustainable agriculture and environmental technologies. This will create a more prosperous, harmonious and secure family of nations.

Back to the Q & A archive.