“Together we can help create a peaceful, just, sustainable and healthy world.”
Deepak Chopra

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• April 22 2012

  A Hidden Benefit of Afghanistan: Peace

  Category:  Politics , SF Gate

  
  America, like every other nation, speaks peace and makes war. In its role as policeman for the world - a role performed spottily, with many arbitrary choices about when to fight - this country cherishes a reputation for peace-keeping. It hurts and baffles Americans to discover, as it did in the Bush era, how hated and disliked we are internationally. Countries that we think we are protecting turn out to view us with fear and suspicion. Since the end of World War II, America has been on a constant war footing, labeled as defense, and we have entered dozens of conflicts.
  
  
  It would be a major step if the debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan created a significant change in this. As the world's largest arms dealer, with a war expenditure higher than the next sixteen countries combined, America has found new rationales in every generation for not reducing weapons expenditure. At this point, most of the pressure is political. The right wing is more or less a permanent war-friendly party. Hugely expensive weapons projects that the military doesn't need, and often doesn't think will work (e.g., much of the "star wars" missile defense system) are kept alive because they bring jobs and money into a congressman's district. The right pumped up terrorism into a war on terror instead of dealing with it sensibly, as a police action, the way counterinsurgency experts recommend and the way that Britain dealt with the I.R.A.
  
  
  Now Afghanistan has turned the Democrats into a war party, mostly against their will and certainly against the inclinations of President Obama, who is obviously of a new generation that has no taste for continuous conflict. The pain of personally waging war has been diverted to a very small percentage of the population, by some estimates around 1%. Without a universal draft of the sort that created a vocal antiwar faction in the Vietnam era, it's up to the center-left to pronounce the truth: America should scale down its military on all fronts. We should become more peaceful in deed rather than just in speech.
  
  
  In their budget-balancing zeal, the Republicans' proposed plans leave the defense budget untouched, which is the same old thinking inherited form the Cold War. Such thinking was outmoded over ten years ago when the 9/11 attacks incited a flagrant and disastrous return to military adventurism. It is even more outmoded today when the only real threat to America is non-state terrorism against which battleships and nuclear weapons are worse than useless.
  
  
  
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  • One heart at a time, we can work toward peace, beginning with our own. <3 Nice article, Deepak! I enjoyed reading it!

    Ryan Schumacher // 2012-04-22 18:16:10 // 17 Like(s) // Like

  • It is an evolutionary thing and will happen by itself. Internet has taken care of our awareness, brought many things to light, brought many people together. Innernet will do the rest...... Perseverance is the inner key to the kingdom of heaven....

    heartphone // 2012-04-23 16:33:45 // 11 Like(s) // Like

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• January 23 2012

  One American Dream Fades - Will Another Be Born?

  Category:  Consciousness , Politics , Spirituality , SF Gate

  The United States remains the country that foreigners criticize the most and want to move to the most. Pursuing the American dream remains a potent motivator for every wave of immigration. It is also a constant theme among this year's crop of Republican hopefuls, who criticize President Obama for tearing down national greatness and pride. Yet beyond hope and rhetoric there are some undeniable facts that counter our embrace of the American dream.
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  • The "American" Dream can be dreamed around the globe, be it in India, Germany, Vietnam, Australia or Austria. This dream is much older than America, and it will be still dreamed when the nations of our time will have been faded away in time. But don`t make the mistake and wait for the politicians to implement this dream. Start with yourself. You are the one you`ve been waiting for!

    Rudi P. // 2012-01-23 22:11:52 // 13 Like(s) // Like

  • certainly hope so!!!

    Soniya Sinha // 2012-01-23 14:49:15 // 1 Like(s) // Like

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• January 19 2012

  Obama's Chances in 2012: A Season for Reason

  Category:  Politics , SF Gate

  On all fronts there are efforts to energize the Obama converts who have lost a little faith, or a lot, over the past three years. Despite the oft-repeated fact that no sitting President since Roosevelt has been re-elected with unemployment over 7.4%, it's also true that incumbents retain a huge advantage and that Obama's presidency has been unique from the day a black man won the election.
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  • My hope is that young people and those who follow will be the ones who collectively rise up and reject those values that we (not just the conservatives) hold dear. The youth of this country are connected in ways that were unheard of for most of us. Technology allows them to share ideas across the global spectrum. As Dr. Chopra pointed out before, the next election will only continue the cycle of corruption in government. real change will occur slowly but surely so long that young people continue to gain a better understanding of what is really important in life. By this I mean fairness, compassion, justice, and humanity. We need to help encourage the next generation of humanity by voicing are higher ideals. I have. A radical new message of brotherhood needs to become part of the national dialog.

    Mark // 2012-01-17 20:22:18 // 56 Like(s) // Like

  • Sounds like propaganda from the Obama campaign. Very disappointing - most imbalanced article I have read from you.

    Steve Houck // 2012-01-17 21:42:33 // 32 Like(s) // Like

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• December 30 2011

  Mansoor Ijaz: The Invisible Hand in US-Pakistan Relations

  Category:  Consciousness , Politics , Spirituality , Blog Talk Radio

  Deepak hosts Mansoor Ijaz on Deepak Chopra Radio on BlogTalk Radio. 
  
  
  
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• December 12 2011

  Winning Back the Future: Here’s how! – Part 1

  Category:  Consciousness , Politics

  Everyone, I think, wants a better future, even when troubled times arise and a better future seems far away. Our leaders are forced to keep their spirits up by promising a vision of the future – that’s how they stay in office – and yet it is very hard to get anyone to agree on a vision that insures a better life for everyone. A lot of the difficulty centers on your view of reality, and I’d like to see if there is a vision that unites all versions of reality, East and West, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian, political and psychological. It’s a huge task to unite the world’s deepest conflicts, but there is a way to approach the problem.
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  • How do you win the future back? As far as I am concerned trying to find the middle space between religion and science, which does not mean philosophy but more simply going all the way back into your own well, to discover your own roots again and let the tree grow from there :) Lol this seems very appropriate in that part of the world where winter season has set in. Snow will cover land with a white blanket and when the days will lengthen again, the light will show the way! Am still convinced Nature always wins back the future! But who am I, indeed :)

    heartphone // 2011-12-12 14:48:56 // 8 Like(s) // Like

  • "In short, the things that are deeply meaningful inside one fence are practically meaningless inside another fence"... thought provoking article as always --thanx Deepak <3

    Fran Lambert // 2011-12-12 10:42:49 // 3 Like(s) // Like

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