I have previously offered reasons why you should sign the International Bill of Rights, this time I’d like to address the question: “If I sign what good will it do?” First, it will show you are a leader. The vast majority of signatures for IBOR will be after it has gained some traction and become trendy. Admittedly we’re not there yet, so if you are signing the IBOR it’s clear that you’re unafraid to act ahead of the curve.
You might ask: “What is the actual impact of my signature?” The answer to that question is difficult and remains to be seen. Some of you may want an answer that is more definite; instead I ask you to ponder the wisdom of Confucius — “he who does not look at what is distant will find sorrow near at hand.” Here is a magic number for you: $2,657,834,000. That is the amount spent by government leaders to prepare for and wage war every single day.
This spending will invariably lead to some global war calamity. Just look at the two-runway aircraft carrier the Chinese recently launched to push their weight around in the South China Sea. And it’s not just China; the United States spends as much on military as the rest of the world combined. Given this unyielding march of the military industrial complex Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the preeminent generals of all time and former President of the United States said, addressing this complex he found so hard to curtail “the people want peace so badly that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”
Your signature will hasten this day when governments get out of the way for peace. A signature is like a vote; it’s an exercise of power. Admittedly, it’s a small dose of power, but it’s yours and it’s an equal dose with all others. If 1 million or 10 million people sign the International Bill of Rights saying that they’re ready for an agreement to live together, their example will force those in government positions to address the issue. Which will open the discussion of why people are or aren’t willing to have an International Bill of Rights apply to all countries, just as a European Bill of Rights applies to 47 countries today.
If you read IBOR and decide not to sign at least explain why, that too is an exercise of power. Tomorrow another $2,657,834,000 will be taken out of yours, and everybody else’s, pocket while you reach in and try to find enough money for your next meal or medical bill. Use the power you have in one way you can.
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