Isn't it time our 1.4 million active military volunteers had help from another million volunteers serving nation and world? Isn't it time significantly more Americans lived up to JFK's clarion call:
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.
To finance a gritty AmeriCorps / sandal-clad Peace Corps volunteer for a year requires a $16,000 - $47,000 investment. Consequently, the cost of fielding 21 million full-time working American volunteers doing good for a generation is about $711 billion.
During the unnecessary Iraq War, whose long term ancillary cost is approaching $7 TRILLION, the annual cost of sending a single Star Trek clad warrior into harm's way was $1,000,000. If our bravest must continue doing more and more battle that bloody cost will continue bleeding higher.
If you could invest 700 BILLION in full-time working Americans to avoid just one lying-in-the-bushes $7 TRILLION war, would it be a wise investment?
Shouldn't even the squeamish Forbes 400 non-signers of the Givers Pledge be able and willing to dedicate 1.15% of their wealth annually for the ensuing 27 years to an escrowed account, which would only be used to fund the service of 21,000,000 working Americans whose developmental work reduces the likelihood of war?
Only a little over 7% of the 1800 worldwide billionaires have signed the "Givers Pledge." If the Forbes 400 committed to an average donation of 1.15% of their wealth, they might very well start a commitment of giving to peaceful development oriented national service by the other 1400 billionaires. Could such super-rich philanthropy redirect the warfare mentality into which so much of the world is falling?
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
1
1
