The world has spent on preparations for war more than $112 billion a year, roughly $450 per head for every man, woman, and child in the world. Let us consider for a moment what could be done with this sum of money if it were spent on peace and not on war. Some of it, at any rate, in the more prosperous countries, could be spent on the reduction of taxation.[1]The rest should be spent in ways that will, at the same time, be of benefit to mankind and a solution to the economic problem of conversion from war industry to the expansion of peace industries. As to this expansion, let us begin with the most elementary of all needs, namely, food.At present, the majority of mankind suffers from undernourishment, and, in view of the population explosion, this situation is likely to grow worse in coming decades. A very small part of what is now being spent upon armaments would rectify our predicament.[2]Not only could the American surplus of grain, which was for many years uselessly destroyed, be spend in relief of famine, but, by irrigation, large regions now desert could be made fertile, and, by improvement in transport, distribution from regions of excess to regions of scarcity could be facilitated.
Housing, even in the richest countries, is often disastrously inadequate. This could be remedied by a tiny fraction of what is being spent on missiles. Education everywhere, but especially in the newly liberated countries of Africa and Asia, demands expenditure many times as great as that which it receives at present. But it is not only greater expenditure that is needed in education. [3]lf the terror of war were removed, science could be devoted to improving human welfare, instead of to the invention of increasingly expensive methods of mutual killing, and schools would no longer think it a part of their duty to promote hatred of possible enemies by means of ignorance tempered by lies.
By the help of modern techniques, the world could enter upon a period of happiness and prosperity far surpassing anything known in previous history. All this is possible. It requires only a different outlook on international affairs and a different state of mind toward those nations which are now regarded as enemies.This is possible.I repeat, but it cannot be done all at once.To reverse the trend of affairs in the most powerful nations of the world is no light task and will require a difficult process of reeducation.
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