How to have Peace.

[Silverhair]

1. Democratization. In the modern history of the world, with the exception of the American Civil War, there has not been a single case of two democracies fighting each other. It just doesn't happen. When a democracy fights, the other country is always a dictatorship. Of course two dictators will fight each other quite readily. Democracies will somehow find a way to work out the difference long before it gets to war. Consider that we now consider a general European war to be unthinkable. Yet, only 60 years ago, it was happening. Fifteen years ago, we were afraid of a Soviet attach, now we have reasonably good relations with Russia.

To help have real peace, we must help democracy to spread. There are many peacefull ways that this can be done. I am not talking about sending in armies.

2. Global Trade. When any two countries have a high level of trade with each other, they can't go to war with each other. They are too interdependent. War becomes bad for business.

3. Fear. Mutual fear works. Some nations, like North Korea are extremely bellicose, but they know that if they actually start something, they will get creamed. So NK acts up, but is careful not to actually start anything they can't finish. India and Pakistan are behaving much better now that they both have nukes. They are more careful of going to war, and in the last crisis, their diplomats worked hard and successfully to avoid war. They can't afford to go to war now.

3. Nuclear non proliferation. Here is where I think a lot of DUers may part company with me. We need to form a club of nuclear powers, and simply tell the rest of the world that no more nations shall be allowed to posses nukes. Any nation that start on a nuclear program would have their plants bombed. (I worked on stopping Iraq from going nuclear.) This may offend many DUers sense of fair play, but stopping nuclear expansion would be worth it.

4. Develop alternate energy technologies that other countries can use to. Thermal Depolymerization looks very promising. When combined with everything else we should be able to dramatically lower our reliance on fossil oil. That would reduce much of the international tensions.

Those are some ideas.

[Muddleoftheroad]

1. Water and food

Those are two huge issues along with energy for coming years. Improving desalinization plants and helping agriculture are also important.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. while the 'democracies don't go to war with each other'

idea may be true, that hasn't stopped one democracy overthrowing another - the USA-backed coups in Iran in the 1950s and Chile in 1970s spring to mind.
Does present day Iran count as a democracy? Could it be the first victim?

[opihimoimoi]

3. Peace is REQUIRED for a SUSTAINABLE EARTH

Without Peace, Humanity is doomed to a miserable end. Even rich Nations will be in turmoil, especially when resources are running out. Conservation and efficency are the key terms for the near future but will the forces comprehend the danger of not heeding?

[Silverhair]

4. Good question. Is Iran a true democracy?

I notice that Iran has been making offers to try to resolve the nuclear issue.

I am not informed enough about Iran to know if they have a real democracy or not. There are many dictatorships, like Casto's Cuba, that make a pretense of democracy, but in fact aren't.

Even in the old Soviet Russia, they went through the charade of having elections.

[LWolf]

5. How to have peace:

1. Make peace the priority.
2. Use diplomacy, not aggression. Learn to interact civilly.
3. Engage in peace, not war. War does not equal peace.

Be the peace you wish to see in the world. In other words, put your actions where your mouth is, when it comes to what you value.

[whatelseisnew]

6. Our only hope, then, is to make the US a democracy

End this tradition of overthrowing democratically elected Leaders around the

world