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As long as money is the driving force, peace will never truly exist on this planet. Countries who benefit from others regardless how they treat their citizens will never give up those benefits even if it meant people will suffer. That includes the US.

People today only understand violence. They say war does not solve anything, but neither does silence. As long as money exist, countries will never speak out against those they benefit from. Plain and simple.

Not so long ago Iranians were out in the streets fighting against a Gov't they believe decieved them, they were met with inhumane attacks and violence. People around the world saw these people fighting for what they believed in and dying for it. What did the rest of the world do? They read about, heard about, saw the videos and commented and argued about it online. Beyong that, hardly a finger was risen for these people. Today? Most probably don't even remember what happend then, today SNL, Foxnews, Obama and some stupid family playing ballon tricks are what's important; while those who died are only remembered by those who loved them and who fought with them.

Maybe if we bring some of those victims of these countries to American Idol, perhaps then people may take notice. In the mean time, we have more important people to take care of such as Brianna, Mike Vic, Kanye West and Paris Hilton.

Leauki, when there was only 4 people on earth...Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel there wasn't peace.  How in the world do you think with the billions on earth now we can do it? 

For me, with my Christian POV I know there will not be any peace until the Prince of Peace comes back.  For you, that would be the Messiah.  Until then it's just not going to happen.  Since the recording of history there's only been totally (from what I've read) only about 2-3 years total peace added up where there wasn't one war going on somewhere in the world. 

I think, without a doubt, Charles hit the nail on the head. Yes, money is a key thing, but what deeper level is there besides money? Greed? Passion? Hate? What are those three things' source? Humans.

It all comes down to people. If you cannot change a person's way of thinking, their bias, ignorance, predjudice, and in some cases conflict instigating culture - then there is no chance of peace. It goes back to a comment I heard while discussing a book one of my sociology/psychology instructors assigned for classes:

The instructor said, "We are all still, after years - thousands or millions depending on your belief - of evolution/change, just a bunch of cavemen (and cavewomen) fighting for that scrap of metaphorical land.; whether that land is actual land, or resources, or wants and needs. We have our clubs still, only they're in the form of bombs, guns, knives, and so forth. The principle remains the same though, we're still fairly much like neanderthals in attitude, we just like to fool ourselves into thinking we're better, more evolved."

That being said, it is my opinion that education is a good approach. If you can educate people and genuinely help them change for the better at a basic level, then there could be peace.

You get what I mean?

KFC also hits a good point. She mentions the fact that, according to the Bible, when there were merely four (4) people - just four people - there was no peace. I think that is profound because it suggests that so long as there is more than one one person on this earth, there will be conflict, war, aggression,etc. Little or no peace.

~AJ

ya, this is one of those idealistic belief systems you have Lucas. 

It's never going to happen no matter how educated we are. It has nothing to do with education.   Look at the news.  How many of the criminals are educated but still only looking out for #1?  How about that black very educated Harvard Professor who jumped all over the white cop?   Peace was not foremost on his mind. 

Go back and read about the very less than peace between two of our earlier  well educated Presidents...Jefferson and Adams.  They couldn't even be in the same room with each other most of the time.  They were highly educated and fervent enemies for many years. 

 Men's pride is such that until that is no more there will be no peace in this world.  Humility is the key, not education.

Maybe not, but I just don't stop when the world says no, especially when there's a way to yes. You may think that the world is screwed, but you know, the "prize" is worth the price/the pursuit is worthwhile.

How many criminals are educated or rehabilited by someone who is competent? There are studies that show that many so called rehabilitation and/or education programs for criminals are a joke, that they're a waste of time and money. If effectively done, they can be helped. Heck, look at the statistics of a criminal re-offending after being imprisoned, versus being (or an attempt at) rehabilitation - the stats are 7% as opposed to 32%, respectively. (~2002-2003

KFC, you're confusing texbook education with practical, real world education. I'm not talking about getting them up to snuff on math, reading, writing, etc. though that would not be a bad thing. I'm talking about things where they get to see first hand what the consequences will be if they continue down the path they're on, and so on so forth. That, is what I'm talking about.

Jefferson and Adams were interesting men, and yes, they were very much enemies. I am a history fan KFC, I've read all about that.

~AJ

I wouldn't go as far as saying that it has nothing to do with education. But the ignorant are not evil, they just follow.

However, you are right in that education does not stop people from being evil. It just stops them from falling for other evil people's tricks. Free will is what makes us evil, not our circumstances.

I am not really into these hatred causes evil, evil causes ignorance, ignorance causes hatred things. Sometimes these explanations are just too Lucasian (George, not Alderic) and sound more sophisticated than the situation calls for.

Mm, good point. I completely spaced on putting that in my original post. Of course I realize that not all people who are educated, for lack of a better term, will stop doing "evil" things. In those cases, all that can really be done is to protect others from them.

~AJ

no, not really.  Look at the likes of Madoff or 99.9% of our politicians.  Many are Yale/Harvard (insert any high ranking school here) but can be the biggest instigators of anti-peace there is while they have been living in the real world.  I'm sure many of them didn't start out this way.  It wasn't the textbooks that made them do what they do, but it was real world education that lured them into their schemes and evil doings that caused many a conflict among the people they affected.  Taking people's money does not promote peace by any stretch of the imagination. 

I happen to believe the whole reason man was created in the first place was to glorify God.  The chief end of man is to glorify God.  That's why we're here.   We've gotten away from all that. 

We can never see ourselves as we really are until we really see God as He really is. 

The slogan of the 60's was "all the world needs is love, love, love."  You can give them all the love in the world and it won't solve the problems of the world.  God's love can never embrace what his holiness condemns. 

If the leaders of the world behaved and believed as we were created in the first place there would be peace in the world. If the leader of North Korea and Iran decided to be Holy, true, merciful, good and longsuffering this earth would be Paradise.  If the Arabs and the Jews decided to be just, loving, merciful and good there would be no wars between them. 

For the world to be Paradise is to fulfill the purpose for which we were created in the first place.  Put God in his proper place and ourselves in ours.  That's why I said it would take universal humility to bring about peace, not education.  Unless you want to say educate yourselves in the ways of God, then I would agree. 

It starts with each one of us.  Individually.  We are to be, in an imperfect environment, holy, gracious, loving, fair, just etc even if they are not.  We are to do it anyhow. 

Until we learn to do this, we will never have peace.