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Peace Economy

Beating Swords into Ploughshares

Peace Economy - Swords into Plowshares

CFPA's Press Release on the Pentagon's New Defense Strategy

New Defense Strategy: Not Sounding That New

(1/05/12) Today the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outlined a new strategy for the Department of Defense. This new direction focused on reorienting the U.S. military toward the Asia-Pacific region and decreasing the number of active duty service members.

President Obama proudly reminded the crowd that the Pentagon’s budget will continue to grow, even if it does so at a slower rate, and will remain higher than at the end of President Bush’s last term. Secretary Panetta and Chairman Dempsey stated that the U.S. will retain the ability to fight more than one war at a time, and the U.S. will retain a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent.

This broadly outlined “new” strategy does not sound all that different than the one we have now, which is contributing to our country’s economic decline by maintaining expensive and useless nuclear weapons and projecting U.S. power needlessly around the world. Nuclear weapons were only hinted at in the press conference, with President Obama stating: "We’ll continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we can invest in the capabilities we need for the future…"

The Pentagon’s report on this new strategy was also released today, stating: It is possible that our deterrence goals can be achieved with a smaller nuclear force, which would reduce the number of nuclear weapons in our inventory as well as their role in U.S. national security strategy.

The U.S. has a stockpile of 8,500 nuclear weapons. Approximately $700 billion of tax payer money will be spent on nuclear weapons programs in the next decade. Billions can be saved by:

- Cutting the Navy’s procurement of new nuclear-capable submarines from 12 to 8. Savings = $27 billion over 10 years and $120 billion over the life of the program.

- Delaying work on a new long-range nuclear-capable bomber. Savings = at least $18 billion over the next decade.

- Cancelling the Mixed Oxide Fuel Plant. Savings = $4 billion.

- Cancelling the construction of a new plutonium pit/nuclear weapon core factory (CMRR-NF). Savings = at least $3 - $5 billion.

Additional savings can come from eliminating the approximately 1,000 U.S. military bases overseas, starting with the European bases left over from the Cold War that ended over 20 years ago. Closing 300 bases alone would save at least $12 billion. Specific budget cuts will be outlined in the weeks to come, leading up to the new budget that will be released in February.

The Coalition for Peace Action will continue to work to cut unnecessary nuclear weapons programs and close overseas bases, and redirect that money to help our communities and fund human needs.

For further information, call the Coalition for Peace Action at (609) 924-5022 or visit their web site www.peacecoalition.org.  

CFPA on Peace Economy

Especially in light of difficult economic times, CFPA considers the formation of a peace economy to be one of our top priorities. Creating a peace economy entails investing funds in domestic projects such as healthcare, education, and employment programs rather than on military endeavors. In 2011, 51% of the federal budget will go to military spending. Meanwhile, only 38% of the budget will be split among Human Resources, which includes Health Services, the Education Department, Housing and Urban Development, and the Labor Department. Our current military endeavors are outrageously expensive; in 2010, Congress allocated $689 billion, 51.1% of all discretionary funds, to the military. This figure comes to about $5,862 per US household.

CFPA advocates a shift in priorities in US spending, and supports projects that work to achieve this goal, such as the regional Smart Security Campaign and the national New Priorities Network. We also enthusiasatically support the recent proposal of Reps. Barney Frank and Ron Paul to reduce military spending by 25%. Our country is now presented with a choice between guns and butter: do we invest in our military, or do we invest in jobs and education? Our future depends on this decision, and CFPA is one of the organizations leading the way in advocataing for a more responsible and sustainable type of spending.

CFPA Campaign Timeline

  • November 21, 2011: CFPA's Buxmont chapters deliver over 300 postcards to Senator Toomey's office urging the Senator to cut military spending in the Super Committee.
  • November 17, 2011: CFPA co-sponsors a Jobs for the 99% Rally at the Trenton State House steps on 11/17 as part of a National Day of Action. 200 people attend the rally.
  • November 12, 2011: 32nd Annual Conference and Interfaith Service for Peace entitled Smart Security: Reducing Military Spending to Fund Urgent Needs at Home is attended by 400 at Princeton University on 11/13.
  • November 6, 2011: CFPA co-sponsors a jobs creation panel with Nobel Laureate and Princeton economist Paul Krugman, Carol Gay, and Larry Hamm attended by 500  in Princeton.
  • October 18, 2011: Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passes a resolution to bring the troops and our war dollars home! Thanks to Jo Schlesinger for her great work  on this project!
  • June 18, 2011: 200 people attend CFPA's 30th Anniversary Membership Dinner, keynoted by Rep. Barney Frank. Rep. Frank speaks on the need for cutting military spending and the creation of a peace economy.
  • April 16, 2011: CFPA participates in a workshop and discussion entitled "The Federal Budget Crisis: Why It Matters," which was sponosred by many progressive groups around the Philadelphia area. The discussion focuses on reducing military spending and addressing urgent needs at home.

  • January 28, 2011: CFPA participates in a panel with the Progressive Democrats of America as they start their state tour. The Panel includes Philadelphia Jobs for Justice, US Labor Against the War, Healthcare for All Pennsylvania, and Social Security Works. Bill Deckhart, our Southeastern Pennsylvania coordinator, represents CFPA. Jo Schlesinger represents CFPA when the tour stops in Pittsburgh on 2 days later.

  • December 14, 2010: CFPA holds a Peace Economy workshop with Mike Prokosh of the New Priorities Network. Mr. Prokosh discusses the importance in building relationships between various groups to press for a new spending policy, and the importance of creating jobs that are good for employees, customers, and the environment.

  • October 30, 2010: CFPA co-sponsors a Town Meeting for Jobs Not War in Philadelphia. The meeting consists of a large panel of speakers who discuss ways to redirect military spending and create good jobs at home.
  • May 25, 2010: CFPA's Main Line chapter has a viewing of "Plunder: The Crime of Our Time," a movie which details how dishonest corporate practices led to the recent financial collapse.
  • November 15, 2009: CFPA holds its 30th Annual Conference with the theme A Peace Economy for the US and the World. The conference focused on the impact of the military budget and its relation to the economic crisis, and how portions of that money could be re-allocated for peaceful purposes. Dr. Lawrence Korb, Bill Hartung, Larry Hamm and Rabbi Michael Lerner all spoke at the conference.
  • Every April, CFPA holds a Tax Day Penny Poll in front of the Palmer Square Post Office. Those passing are given 10 pennies which they can divide among tubes that represent five categories of federal spending: education, health, environment, housing, and military. After participants divide up their pennies, we give them a pie chart showing how their federal tax dollar is actually spent, urging them to contact their federal representatives if their priorities are different from the chart. We then let the area media know the outcome of the Penny Poll.

Resources

  • Click here to read the "NewPeople Newspaper," which includes an article by CFPA Western PA Coordinator Jo Schlesinger on a "Bring US Troops and the War Dollars Home" resolution recently passed by the Pittsburgh City Council (p. 6).
  • The War Resisters League's Pie Chart showing where your 2011 income taxes will really go.