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Proposals for just defense

To the Journal editor:

Should all developed nations be required to pay a just amount for defense?

What is a just amount for defense?

Is a just amount for defense all developed nations spending the same percent of their gross domestic product for defense?

Is it just for other developed countries to spend a lower percent of their GDP for defense than our U.S. and expect our U.S. to assist them against an extremely violent aggressor?

To answer these questions, our method is to present definitions, facts, a theoretical foundation, and general and specific proposals.

GDP is the market value of all goods and services produced within a country during a specific time period.

A developed nation is a nation with a higher level on the Human Development Index for life expectancy (health), education, and per capita income than an underdeveloped nation.

Following is the percent of GDP spent for defense for illustrative developed nations: Canada 1.0 percent, England 1.9 percent, Germany 1.2 percent, Japan 1.0 percent, and our U.S., 3.3 percent (The World Bank, 2016). Excluding our U.S., the mean percent for these nations is 1.3 percent, less than half that of our U.S.

Our theoretical foundation is justice for all, including, 1. security in our U.S. for all and security throughout our world for all, and 2. equal benefits and equal burdens for all to provide security for all.

Our general proposal is all developed nations democratically negotiate to reach a just decision in which all spend the same percent of their GDP for defense to provide individual self-defense against an aggressor and to provide mutual defense against an extremely violent aggressor.

Our specific proposals are:

1. Our U.S. is not the military, police, prosecutor, defender, judge, jury, jailer, and executioner for the world.

2. If a developed nation spends the negotiated amount for defense our U.S. will provide assistance for the nation against an extremely violent aggressor, but if a developed nation does not spend the negotiated amount for defense our U.S. will not provide assistance.

3. If other developed nations will not raise their percent of GDP for defense to our U.S.’s percent, our U.S. will lower our percent to the negotiated level; and will spend the funds for helping pay off our national debt.

Just defense expenditures for all.

Just defense for all.

Justice for all.

Gordon Peterson

Marquette

Editor’s note: This letter writer should not be confused with Gordon J. Peterson, a retired funeral director who worked for many years for Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home in Marquette.

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