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God's Politics Blog

A 'Just Peace' President?

by Valerie Elverton Dixon 01-28-2009 | 6:00pm
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If this Gaza War teaches us anything, if the tragic history of wars in the Middle East teaches us anything, it is that when people are determined to obtain weapons and fight, war goes on and solves nothing. Thankfully, both sides have declared unilateral cease-fires even as sporadic violence continues. However, the first moves by President Obama regarding the Middle East signals a paradigm shift. His may be a just peace presidency.

Professor Glen Stassen gives us ten just peace principles: nonviolent direct action; independent initiatives to reduce a threat; cooperative conflict resolution; acknowledge responsibility for conflict and injustice and seek repentance and forgiveness; advance democracy, human rights, and religious liberty; foster just and sustainable economic development; work with cooperative forces in the international system; strengthen the United Nations and international efforts for cooperation and human rights; reduce offensive weapons and weapons trade; encourage grassroots peacemaking groups (Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices For Abolishing War).

I say these principles may be grouped into three categories

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by: BillSamuel

01-30-2009 @ 10:51pm

There have been some positive indications from Obama on the Middle East, but he hasn't made any real decisions yet. We will need to work hard to encourage the Administration and the Congress (which so far is still a huge obstacle to peace in the Middle East) to make good decisions. He has not moved to cut off one iota of the military support that allows Israel to engage in the kind of atrocities it did in Gaza.

And he's a long way from being a just peace person. Several of the ten points are clearly not ones which represent Obama's position. He has reiterated over and over again his belief in war, and has shown it in such things as his military attacks on Pakistan. He has appointed all hawks to key positions in the Administration dealing with military and foreign policy issues. There is no one around him to represent the peace position at the table.

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by: erbe

01-30-2009 @ 1:27am

Obama may just be the man to reign in AIPAC and let Israel know that if wants to continue getting the military equipment and financial aid from the United States its going to have to behave. Most of our past presidents have been castrated and neutered by AIPAC and the Zionist politicians.

Did you know that Netanahyu graduated from Cheltenham High School near Philadelphia? That's spooky.

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by: erbe

01-30-2009 @ 1:27am

Obama may just be the man to reign in AIPAC and let Israel know that if wants to continue getting the military equipment and financial aid from the United States its going to have to behave. Most of our past presidents have been castrated and neutered by AIPAC and the Zionist politicians.

Did you know that Netanahyu graduated from Cheltenham High School near Philadelphia? That's spooky.

by: erbe

01-30-2009 @ 1:27am

Obama may just be the man to reign in AIPAC and let Israel know that if wants to continue getting the military equipment and financial aid from the United States its going to have to behave. Most of our past presidents have been castrated and neutered by AIPAC and the Zionist politicians.

Did you know that Netanahyu graduated from Cheltenham High School near Philadelphia? That's spooky.

by: BillSamuel

01-30-2009 @ 10:51pm

There have been some positive indications from Obama on the Middle East, but he hasn't made any real decisions yet. We will need to work hard to encourage the Administration and the Congress (which so far is still a huge obstacle to peace in the Middle East) to make good decisions. He has not moved to cut off one iota of the military support that allows Israel to engage in the kind of atrocities it did in Gaza.

And he's a long way from being a just peace person. Several of the ten points are clearly not ones which represent Obama's position. He has reiterated over and over again his belief in war, and has shown it in such things as his military attacks on Pakistan. He has appointed all hawks to key positions in the Administration dealing with military and foreign policy issues. There is no one around him to represent the peace position at the table.

by: BillSamuel

01-30-2009 @ 10:51pm

There have been some positive indications from Obama on the Middle East, but he hasn't made any real decisions yet. We will need to work hard to encourage the Administration and the Congress (which so far is still a huge obstacle to peace in the Middle East) to make good decisions. He has not moved to cut off one iota of the military support that allows Israel to engage in the kind of atrocities it did in Gaza.

And he's a long way from being a just peace person. Several of the ten points are clearly not ones which represent Obama's position. He has reiterated over and over again his belief in war, and has shown it in such things as his military attacks on Pakistan. He has appointed all hawks to key positions in the Administration dealing with military and foreign policy issues. There is no one around him to represent the peace position at the table.

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09-28-2009 @ 6:27am

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