Addicted To War – The 12 Step Solution

12 Step programs are recognized as the world’s most effective tools in dealing with addictions. Why would  the Steps not work for man’s addiction to war? Well meaning peace organizations and anti-war groups don’t often talk of America’s obvious addiction to war. Perhaps it is because they don’t understand the realm of addiction or perhaps they don’t understand the solution. But rooted in the ego our leaders have developed a bottomless hole they can never fill up and I understand that feeling implicitly.

Mankind has no “natural” enemies. We are not born with an instinctive desire to kill our neighbors. The spiritual malady to do harm to others is a learned behavior and American President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned us of that when discussing the U.S. Military Industrial Complex stating, “We create enemies so there is someone to buy our bombs.” Today we know, beyond all doubt, political and corporate leaders do “create” enemies, in order to “create” war. Corporations profit in billions by selling weapons and, as a result of invasions, gain control of the “enemies” natural resources, primarily oil and drugs. The evidence indicates the more unstable and damaging the world is for the global community, the more profitable it is for the few who profit from war. Do we really want those who profit from war involved in the decision making process of going to war?

Obviously there is little profit in peace, and regardless of what politicians may say, ask yourself what have they done to actually create peace? Ask yourself if politicians really want peace? Or are they more concerned with massive defense budgets and supporting corporate interests which profit from war and, in return, fund their campaigns?

So if political and corporate leaders are not interested in creating peace, whose job is it? Sorry, its yours, and mine, and the other 7 billion people of this world, who must create the peace we all know we must have? There is no one else. And in order to create this change we need a recipe we can all agree on. We need a road map which, regardless of race or religion, will lead us out of the insanity mankind has created. Love, tolerance, and service to our fellow man are the hallmarks of 12 Step fellowships, and these principles can and will free us from the bondage of man’s selfish, self-centered, and addictive behaviors if we want that freedom badly enough.

What else do you have?