Wars are easy to start. Difficult to end. Consequences are inevitable with complications lasting generations.

This new war on Iran - in our era of other accelerating disruptions, is certainty not an exception. Religious factors make things much more complicated.  Faith driven hate has greater potential for spreading rapidly and globally --with modern weapon systems combined with every modern nation's multiple vulnerabilities. 

The first few days has certainly diminished Iran’s existing nuclear threat to Israel - but will likely exacerbate the long-term security of Israel - and every other nation supporting either side in this conflict.   What gets lost in translation is the fact that terrorism, a tactic of those without expensive sophisticated weaponry.  Tactics can never be defeated.  And believing it can only inflame the passions of those related to the innocent people murdered, be they Palestinian children or the nearly 200 children in a single Iran school.  What do you think their hundreds of relatives are feeling and thinking now regarding this single US/Israel missile strike?  

The phrase ‘War is Hell’ comes instantly to mind. And Truth is always the first casualty of war. Given the accelerating truth decay over the last 10 years - there’s little chance of a clear victory against the size, history, and tenacity of a culture more than 3000 thousand years old.  Our American freedom culture is only 250.  The leader of North Vietnam said he didn’t need to defeat the US Army.  He only needed to outlast the American people.

Few freedom loving souls doubt that freedom should be better armed than tyranny. These were the words of the Ukrainian President four years ago.

There are many possible unintended consequences to this new Iran war.  And this should put everyone on edge.  Modern vulnerabilities are far greater than those of less prosperous non democratic nations.   Any nation’s dependence on electrical or oil generated power has far greater weaknesses.  Or political resilience.  Blocking the transportation of oil is relatively easy.  Blocking the amount of misinformation, disinformation, and hacking of cyber systems -- that nearly every aspect of modern life depends on...nearly impossible.

Most minds fail to grasp the root causes of modern conflicts.  Most react without seeking to understand the systemic failures in both our global governance and capital systems.  We think we understand reality through our favorite bubbles of truth.  Our personal truths - which God do we believe in or not.  Plus, our political truths.  Which tribe do we belong to?  What race?

Each blinding us from the fundamental truth that we are one family.  The human family.

With each of us having the capacity for mass murder with a cell phone or an automobile.  Meanwhile, nearly everything else is a weapon.  We need to understand that security is an illusion. Freedom is all we really have. We are free to believe and think about anything we want. But not have the freedom to do things that physically harm others.  It is delusional to think there are no consequences to what we do.  In reality - nearly everything we do has global consequences.  And if our actions not virtuous in treating others as we would like to be treated, do not expect things to work out well for you or those you love. 

This concept of independence we have in our mind is delusional. As with the concept that nations are independent.  This is a form of insanity.  Because, in reality, everything is connected, interdependent, and vulnerable. And a global effort (even a universal effort) is needed to keep us safe and breathing.  Keep in mind that a Pulsar 1 billion light years away, could wipe out all life on earth - if hit by its pulse generated 1 billion years ago.

On earth, the best place for us to start bringing sanity to humanity is within our own local community. And a global plan created in 2015 was approved by most nations. It’s called the 17th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  It was established at the United Nations by thousands of people from hundreds of countries, with their issue areas of expertise.  Most importantly, within those 17 goals there are 169 specific sub-goals that local communities can tackle anywhere on earth.  Simply by uniting on a few of the specific goals each community agrees to work on.

Thus far, too often progress on earth has been limited by competition between the three progressive movements (Peace, Environment, and economic/social Justice) and the tens of thousands of organizations within each. For decades their siloed priorities have too often preempted these key movements and vital organizations from working together on a holistic, comprehensive and synergistic effort.  An essential global effort for almost every life form to best survive and thrive.  And for our species to flourish sustainably.

Each of these movements and organizations within each have competed with each other for money, active members, media, attention, and time with key policy makers.  Meanwhile, opposing forces have united around debatable issues that further distract and divide progressives on every issue. 

Until our species prioritizes the golden rule to protect and restore our planet’s life support systems with the protection of human rights above the defense of national sovereignty, our divisions will increase as well as the unsustainability of our species.

If you would like more information on, or begin organizing within your local community - to create a political will vital to sustain the health minds, bodies, family, the human spirit, your community, everyone’s environment, political system, and economic system - just email Project250@earthlink.net  Do not look for a website. Project 250 is only an idea - whose time is more than 300 years overdue.  Endorsing it simply means you agree in the principle of the “inalienable Rights” and our collective need to protect and restore Earth’s life support systems. 

Now on our gifted planet we have the financial resources, technologies, and sustainable methods to prevent and solve almost every problem. We simply lack the wisdom and the political will globally to make a more perfect union of healthy people and a sustainable environment.