Dear Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Please Work to End War

[Valin]

Scientific American

A science writer urges a progressive young congresswoman to lead a broad peace movement

John Horgan

January 24, 2019

From: John Horgan, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.

To: The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Dear Congresswoman:

I am a professor and science journalist who blogs for Scientific American. Like many Americans, I’m heartened by your election to the U.S. Congress. There’s hope for our democracy!

Your call for a “Peace Economy”—and the video of you dancing to the classic lyric “War, what is it good for?”--inspired me to send you this letter, along with my book The End of War. I wrote the book because nine out of ten people (according to my surveys) think war is a permanent part of the human condition. I reject this fatalism, and I hope you do too.

(Snip)

I keep waiting for a bold politician to recognize the vast potential of a movement aimed at ending war once and for all. I hoped Barack Obama, especially after his Nobel Prize, might lead a global peace movement, but that was not to be. You have the courage, charisma and eloquence to become a peace leader.

(Snip)

The U.S., in coordination with allies and rivals alike, can surely scale back its military empire in ways that boost rather than diminish global security. This step would take us closer to a world in which war between nations becomes inconceivable, a relic of our primitive past. We can end war, just as we ended slavery and other oppressive practices, if we have the will to do so.

I hope this letter, at the very least, gets you thinking about these possibilities. Thanks for giving me a hearing.

Sincerely, John Horgan

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From The Comments

grubtal3 17 hours ago

It was people like Horgan and Ocasio-Cortez who in the 1930's convinced Hitler he was in with a chance:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_and_Country_debate

As someone said after a visit to Germany at the time: "Then I realized that the world enemies of peace might be the pacifists."

 

[Valin]

Quote

I wrote the book because nine out of ten people (according to my surveys) think war is a permanent part of the human condition. I reject this fatalism, and I hope you do too.

 

Dear Mr Horgan

If you could, would you provide me with an example of any 10 year period in the last 6,000 years where one group of people Were Not killing, enslaving, another group of people.

Thank you