Opening The Rift
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For True Greatness, USA must move from MAGA to MAGPA
The USA must redefine greatness by embracing peacefulness, shifting from MAGA to MAGPA for a truly great and peaceful future.
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MAGA may be a popular slogan, but it does not define greatness, it does not tell us in what sense or how the USA must be great. When it talks of Make America Great ‘Again’ it does not explain this greatness as being seen and sought with reference to which previous time. The USA has seen times of very destructive wars and times of relative peace, of true courage and of entirely unjustified attacks on others, of very helpful assistance for others as well as of plunder and relentless bullying; it has seen leaders who tried to embrace peace and those who sought to live by the sword or, in these times, the bomb. The slogan fails to specify which historical period it considers ‘great’ or what its chosen vision of greatness entails.
A vague slogan can be used in misleading ways, particularly if it is placed in the wrong hands and loud mouths, even in ways which harm the country and the entire world. Hence, it is time to replace MAGA with MAGPA as a guiding post. MAGPA stands for—Make America Great and Peaceful Always.
Unlike MAGA, MAGPA does not leave greatness undefined and uncertain—it clearly establishes a correlation and coexistence of greatness with peacefulness. Secondly, it does not trouble us with the difficult exercise of trying to endlessly equate present greatness with a specific earlier period of American history. MAGPA instead sets a bright and clear future path: from now onwards, the USA will seek its greatness in peacefulness, making America great and peaceful always.
What exactly is meant by peacefulness? For a country, this means being peaceful at home and in its external relations. For an individual, this means being at peace with oneself and in all social relationships, as well as with nature and the environment.
While all countries should strive for peacefulness, in the context of the entire world nowhere is this more important than in the context of the USA. As the most powerful country in the world, if the USA is firmly on a path of peace, this will not only help the USA achieve true greatness but also be great news for world peace—in fact, the best news in recent times.
Being peaceful certainly does not mean ignoring essential concerns of protecting the country and its people against any external aggression. In fact, being peaceful means focusing more intently on protective concerns: ensuring the protection of one’s own people as well as having a sincere commitment to the protective concerns of all people in the world.
Geography has endowed the USA with a very protective location. It need not worry too much about external attacks although adequate preparation for defense should certainly be in place should the need arise. What should be given up are all forms of external aggression. Robust defense can be achieved with less than half the present military budget, making available huge amounts for meeting medical, housing and other essential needs of vulnerable sections of US society.
PROPOSED BUDGET REALLOCATION
Shifting US Military Spending Towards Peace and Welfare
Defense Efficiency
< 50%
of current military budget for robust defense
Humanitarian Aid
5%
of current military budget for life-saving relief
VISUALS BY THE RIFT
However, the pursuit of peacefulness means more than this. This also means doing more for the people worldwide who have been placed in the most unfortunate and difficult situations in various serious humanitarian crisis zones. Making available just 5% of the current U.S. military budget immediately for this can bring life-saving relief to millions, including women and children, and enormously improve the USA’s image in these crisis zones and globally. Internally, increasing peacefulness can bring greatly improved health including mental and spiritual health, reduced crime and addictions, improved social relationships and reduced violence at various levels. At present harm caused by violence in daily life in the USA, including domestic violence and bullying, is almost on the scale of a relentless war.
The domestic pursuit of peacefulness includes education and training for a life based on peace and nonviolence in schools and colleges, community and religious or spiritual organizations, workplaces, and special institutions, for children as well as adults (including those already in leadership or high positions). This prepares, trains, helps, and encourages people to lead their lives based on the precepts of peace, nonviolence, a sense of justice, and protectiveness towards the environment and all forms of life. This can bring significant change within about five years of sincere efforts, fostering personal, national, and world peace. At the same time, the big military businesses can be helped to diversify into tasks like disaster response and rescue, so that they too have more opportunities in a protective agenda.
Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Rift.
