Peace and the Common Good

So last night I watched President Obama's speech regarding the removal of troops from Iraq, signaling the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom which was begun by President Bush in 2003.

In case you missed it, here's a link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzO9LZzZoOk


I watched it on the White House's YouTube channel and participated in the discussion by submitting questions and voting on other questions. The two questions that I posted were (more or less):

1) The establishment of peace happens not merely in the absence of war, but requires the active promotion of the human flourishing of all. What are we prepared to do to assist Iraq in establishing lasting peace even as we remove our troops from their nation?

2) What is your plan, Mr. President, for establishing more collaboration and positive relationships with Iraq and other nations in the Middle East, and to promote long-term peace in the region?

I was shocked at how many people voted negatively against my questions. I was also shocked by how many questions were about "why are we spending billions abroad when we have people here who are in poverty?"  or "Let the Iraqis take care of their own country!"

While "charity begins at home," one also has to recognize that the poor in America often have access to safety nets (resources through social service agencies, charitable organizations, etc.) which do not exist in other nations, especially not in those just recovering from nearly a decade of war. I'm all for taking care of the poor here in the US, but we have to realize that we live in a globalized world. In his encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope John Paul wrote:

"Solidarity ... is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all." (#38).

As I grow older I am realizing that it's problematic to have the view that I'm only responsible for what is immediately in front of me. I can go to the store and purchase a cheap t-shirt at a large store and think: "Great! I saved a few bucks!" But what I might not realize is that that shirt that I just bought was produced in a sweat shop by a child laborer. Or the vegetables we eat - may have been harvested by a migrant worker who is not paid a just wage for his or her labor because she is "undocumented." Nearly everything we consume, use, or purchase these days is a product of the global market. How I live my daily live here in the States - might be having an impact on the daily lives of people all over the world.

As cheesy as it sounds, I can't help but think of the song from Disney's Pocahontas - "And we are all connected to each other, in a circle, in a hoop that never ends."  Catholic Social Teaching would say that our good - is tied up with the common good of all humanity. If there are people suffering in any part of the globe, our good is not being fully realized.

All of us need to pray for the conversion of heart necessary to recognize the truth that we cannot stop caring about the people and situation of Iraq. Yes, we've invested billions in helping to (hopefully) secure political stability and freedom. Yes, it was a high price to pay that required great sacrifices from us as a nation. But  our job isn't - and will never be - finished. Now what the US needs to do is to increase its commitment to providing humanitarian aid and assistance with the economic, cultural, and spiritual development of Iraq. Ultimately, peace is not achieved with weapons but with caritas - love. Our continued commitment to these aims is what will help us secure their good - and ours.