Submitted by Greg Alderete.
For decades, the United States has engaged in conflicts that have yielded little more than loss—of lives, resources, and global credibility. From Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, we have poured trillions into wars without clear objectives, waged under the guise of national security but often driven by political and economic interests. While we have mastered the battlefield through technology and firepower, we have won little in the way of lasting peace. Isn’t it time we rethink our priorities?
A Cabinet-level Secretary of Peace could serve as a crucial counterbalance to the militaristic impulses that have dominated U.S. foreign policy. While the Secretary of Defense ensures military readiness, a Secretary of Peace would focus on conflict prevention, diplomacy, and post-war reconciliation. This role would prioritize negotiation over aggression, fund education and economic development in troubled regions, and foster alliances based on mutual benefit rather than military dominance.
Other nations have prioritized peacebuilding over war-making, and the U.S. must follow suit if it hopes to maintain moral authority. The cost of war is staggering—not just in dollars, but in human suffering. Redirecting even a fraction of our defense budget toward diplomacy and conflict resolution could create a safer, more stable world.
A nation that spends so much on war must invest equally in peace. Establishing a Secretary of Peace would be a bold step toward a future where America is known not for its military might, but for its leadership in forging a more just and peaceful world.
Won’t happen with this administration!
Please send your letter to the White House and to Congress. Well Done.
Congratulations. You’ve just described the Secretary of State role.
While these duties may be included in our Secretary of State’s role, somehow the “Secretary of Peace” has a better ring to it in our troubled world!
Greg Alderete,
Thank you for sharing your thought-provoking peace-promoting ideas.
In my opinion, your concept(s) could happen with our current new administration based on the administration’s independent thinking and strong leadership.
I agree with Kim. Send your letter to the White House and your local politicians with a request that they forward your thoughtful concepts to the White House.
Joseph Boyle
The External Revenue Service will have to run its course first.
Greg, all,
We have a dozen “Secretaries” of Peace. We have an Institute of Peace (usip.org). Peace, diplomacy, human rights and justice comprise established curricula on campus around the free world. But we have one president, one congress. Today, our president is meeting with a prime minister to discuss prospects for a “peace” that has eluded leaders of both nations for more than 75 years. Since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin (Nov, 1995), the light of peace has dimmed toward vanishing. Suppressed by one state, supported by the other, both heedless of the necessity peace requires. Peace begins with justice, justice with understanding, understanding with knowledge and moral purpose. Who shall make law and who peace?
Well said. And our current administration is in an undeclared war against its own country and citizens with blather claiming it’s against everyone else, also likely to cost trillions. American First can only result in America Alone and America Last. A costly and embarrassing lack of strategic thought.
Let’s not forget, that peace begins individually. If your first reaction to a person who is different, is fear and perhaps anger, perhaps you’re falling into despair. Happiness and joy are often elusive, but we can develop peace in our hearts. The United States is an unhappy nation. Sometimes problems with drugs, alcohol, and the lack of basic needs result in despair and the desire to escape a miserable life.