How to Prevent War in the United States

Although many believe that war is inevitable, there are steps that nations and governments can take to eliminate the need and possibility for war. Although certain theories do ring true in the arguments for why certain nations never go to war with each other, certain preventative measures can be effective in preventing war.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Engage in diplomacy. Diplomacy is the act of negotiating and compromising with a nation or leader of a nation. Although a foreign concept to some administrations, diplomacy has proven an effective negotiation technique. Diplomacy alone cannot prevent war, but it is a promising first step.
2. Implement a pragmatic foreign policy. Foreign policy cannot be based simply on scare tactics and threats, it should reflect the current international community. To prevent war, a good foreign policy must embrace American values and ideals while not undermining values and ideals of other world leaders.
3. Understand different cultures. As with all historic misunderstandings, war can be prevented by trying to understand the different complexities of other cultures, religions and governments. Basic understanding will pave the way for diplomacy and make the need for war less likely.
4. Decrease contributions to the military industrial complex. Increasing the amount of money allocated for defense only serves to increase the necessity for war. A free government of people will not accept paying hundreds of millions of dollars for a military we don't use. Limiting the funds allocated for defense will decrease the need to use the military.
5. Refrain from preemptive strikes. As the only world power, it is unrealistic to think that any government or military would launch a preemptive strike on the United States given the strength and size of our military. Engaging in offensive rather than defensive behavior will further our reputation as a world bully and Imperialist power. Without preemptive strikes, diplomacy will always be an option to prevent war.
6. Explore all options. Before war is put on the table, a responsible government should exhaust all other possibilities. This is especially true for America, who seeks to set a moral example for the rest of the world. To prevent a war, a country must be willing to compromise and negotiate and use any other available tactics to keep citizens safe before going to war.