Peace Department Proposal Rattles Small Town (NPR)

[Up2Late]

(You should all hear this story NPR did, this weekend, about this Anti-Peace town in Wisconsin! They talk like Peace is a disgusting concept, it's really quite amazing!)

Peace Department Proposal Rattles Small Town

Listen to this story...(at link above)
by Daniel Zwerdling

Weekend Edition Saturday, March 24, 2007 · To the members of a women's group in Fairmont, Minn.,
it seemed like a simple idea: The United States has a Department of State, which promotes
America's interests overseas. And it also has a Department of Defense,
which fights for them. So why not create a Department of Peace, to promote
creative ways to avoid conflicts?

A national coalition of human rights groups has been campaigning for the idea,
which has been around in some form since the days of America's founding fathers.
There's currently a bill before Congress that would create such an agency.
When the Fairmont Peace Club learned of the campaign last year, they decided
to help. Instead, they triggered fears in their community about the very survival of America.

Fairmont, surrounded by farm fields and red barns, is the government seat
of Martin County, population 10,000; it's among the top 10 pork-producing
counties in America. The area is 97 percent white, and a large majority
of residents usually vote Republican....

(edit)

..."The frightening thing about this whole thing is, it's a humongous push
to get the United Nations' foot in the door. And their total goal, if you study
up on it all, is to take away our sovereignty," warned resident Peet Moeller....
(more and audio at link) <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9083208>

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Fear, fear, fear!

Terror, terror, terror!!

We can't have PEACE! Faux would never know how to handle that!

[youngdem]

2. For the 1,000,000th time, THIS IS WHAT THE DEPT. OF STATE IS FOR

When our government is not being run by neo-con crooks.

The solution to every problem isn't systemic. Sometimes, what you have is simply a personnel issue.

That is what we have here.

[AZBlue]

3. Not exactly. The State Dept deals with foreign policy.

It's duties include (as listed by the State Dept itself):
- Protecting and assisting U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad;
- Assisting U.S. businesses in the international marketplace;
- Coordinating and providing support for international activities of other U.S. agencies (local, state, or federal government), official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts.
- Keeping the public informed about U.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and providing feedback from the public to administration officials.
- Provides automobile registration for non-diplomatic staff vehicles and the vehicles of diplomats of foreign countries having diplomatic immunity in the United States.

That's not exactly the promotion of peace among nations. True, foreign policy plays into that, but it's not the equivalent of it.

[Up2Late]

4. Thanks for the assist.

I just wasn't in the mood for dealing with that one today.