Hawaii Betsuin DIALOGUE Project September 2022 meeting
Topic: War vs. Diplomacy
Thursday, September 2022
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
In person and via Zoom (this will be the DIALOGUE’s first “hybrid” session)
REGISTRATION: To register, please visit our Google form at https://forms.gle/m67PxJ4xov4BeXvSA. You will receive the meeting and/or Zoom location for the next DIALOGUE meeting.
More About the September 2022 DIALOGUE, from the Organizers
The topic will be War vs. Diplomacy, the relative impact and efficacy of diplomacy vs war in America’s foreign policy and implications for Buddhism.
Since World War II, the United States has been involved in a number of additional wars, including Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, that have been unsuccessful and arguably detrimental to our foreign policy, as well as supportive of other wars, usually through supplying armaments, such as those in Yemen and Ukraine today. We maintain hundreds of military bases throughout the world, and our military budget far surpasses that of all other nations.
Perhaps emphasizing diplomacy rather than war would be a better approach. Participation in the military or the production of armaments would seem inconsistent with the Eightfold Path: Right Livelihood.
Readings
- ‘War Vs. Diplomacy’ YouTube show on ThinkTech Hawaii, with guest David Strand
- War is a Racket,’ by General Smedley D. Butler (solantamity.com)
- Column: Replace wasteful wars with diplomacy, OpEd by David Strand (Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 08/29/2021 – requires login). PDF version also available.
- The New American Militarism, How Americans are Seduced by War, by Andrew Bacevich (available for purchase, link is to Amazon.)
Optional Readings:
About the DIALOGUE Project
The DIALOGUE Project is a project of Hawaii Betsuin’s Social Concerns Committee in which sangha members and friends are invited to explore social issues with others through a Buddhist lens. DIALOGUE meets on the second Thursday of every other month, 7:00-8:30 p.m., i.e., January 13, March 10, and etc. at Hawaii Betsuin, 1727 Pali Highway or by Zoom, TBA. All DIALOGUE topics are contributed by participants, all suggestions welcomed!
More at https://hawaiibetsuin.org/dialogue/.