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Vol. XVII, Number 3 Spring,2003

WHAT WE ARE ABOUT

Please share with us what you are doing relating to nonviolent change. If you send us a short report of your doings, learnings, ideas, concerns, reactions, queries we will print them here. Responses can be published in the next issue.

Steve Sachs: I am extremely concerned about the entire direction and flow of the Bush administration, which, especially in foreign affairs, may turn out to be the administration most destructive of the overall interests of American citizens, and of the people of the world. This is not merely a difference of philosophy or policy perspective. I respect President Bush for having learned from and over come the shortcomings of youth, to accomplish a great deal. He can serve well in many capacities, but I find that he does not have the wisdom and statesmanship to lead a great nation in difficult times. His performance has been Bush league and dangerous. He has focused on a secondary problem (Iraq), to the exclusion of a major one (North Korea), which became so by his escalation – and hence has for some time needed immediate and appropriate attention that it has not received. In the meantime, he has made relatively minor gains at great cost to all, in Iraq, in a counter productive way that considerably increases the dangers of terrorism and the proliferations of weapons of mass destruction, that that action was intended to decrease. At a time when the U.S. needs extensive international collaboration to effectively deal with major problems confronting the entire world, he has alienated those whom it is essential to have as collaborators, and a good many others as well. Domestically, he has been so fiscally irresponsible, as to make credible the charge that he wants to destroy the ability of the national government to do anything, except deal with defense and foreign affairs (goals that are also undermined by unfortunate fiscal and economic policy), plus assisting business. Mr. Bush, and a number of his close advisors, call themselves conservative. I hope that they will yet prove me wrong. But at this point the administration is hardly conservative. From the environment, across the economy to foreign affairs, nothing is being conserved! It would seem technically more correct to call the administration’s approach “destructionist.” It may be that all of this is the result of a certain idealism in the administration. Having ideals is important. But it becomes a liability when one is caught up in them to the point of not seeing the full complexity of the actual concrete world. I can only hope that the unfolding of events, quickly, will provide the administration with a better sense of reality.

More personally, Leah and I are looking forward to some interesting peace and justice travel: First, presenting a paper and putting on a panel in the American Indian Studies section of the Western Social Science Association, on the impact of American Indian tradition on western thought and its contemporary relevance; Next, participating in a conference on peace from a wide range of perspectives, in the Black Forrest; Finally, giving a paper at the American Political Science Association Meetings, “Interlinking the Circles: The Impact of Globalization on Indigenous Peoples and Their Actions to Meet It.” I hope that all of you enjoy a fine spring and summer.

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©2002, 2003. All rights reserve. The Nonviolent Change Journal is published by the Research/Action Team on Nonviolent Large Systems Change - an interorganizational and international project of The Organization Development Institute.

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