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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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According to this article the use of the military has ultimately made America less safe. Also, studies have shown that a nonviolent approach may overall be more affective.

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Militarism has made us less safe, and continues to do so. It is not a useful tool for protection. Other tools are.

Studies over the past century have found that nonviolent tools are more effective in resisting tyranny and oppression and resolving conflicts and achieving security than violence is.

Wealthy militarist nations like the United States think of their militaries as global police, protecting the world. The world disagrees. By a large margin people all over the world consider the United States the greatest threat to peace.

The United States could easily make itself the most beloved nation on earth with much less expense and effort, by ceasing its "military aid" and providing a bit of non-military aid instead.

The momentum of the military-industrial complex works through the hammer-nail effect (if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail). What's needed is a combination of disarmament and investment in alternatives (diplomacy, arbitration, international law enforcement, cultural exchange, cooperation with other countries and people).

The most heavily armed nations can help disarmament in three ways. First, disarm - partially or fully. Second, stop selling weapons to so many other countries that don't manufacture them themselves. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, at least 50 corporations supplied weapons, at least 20 of them to both sides. Third, negotiate disarmament agreements with other countries and arrange for inspections that will verify disarmament by all parties.

The first step in handling crises is to stop creating them in the first place. Threats and sanctions and false accusations over a period of years can build momentum for war that is triggered by a relatively small act, even an accident. By taking steps to avoid provoking crises, much effort can be saved.

When conflicts inevitably do arise, they can be better addressed if investments have been made in diplomacy and arbitration.

A fair and democratic international system of law is needed. The United Nations needs to be reformed or replaced with an international body that forbids war and allows equal representation to every nation. The same goes for the International Criminal Court. The idea behind it is exactly right. But if it only prosecutes tactics, not the launching, of wars, and if it only prosecutes Africans, and only Africans not cooperating with the United States, then it weakens the rule of law rather than expanding it. Reform or replacement, not abandonment, is needed.

Resources with additional information.

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Security Without War - World Beyond War . . .

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Militarism has made us less safe, and continues to do so. It is not a useful tool for protection. Other tools are. Studies over the past century have found that nonviolent tools are more effective in resisting tyranny and oppression and resolving conflicts and achieving security than violence is.

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Everyone knows that coming back from war isn't easy for the soldiers who return although almost no one realizes how much their lives are altered.

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What this picture is representing is how much many cents each women makes per state when a man makes $1. It is extremely obvious that women recieve less pay then men and it has became a controversial topic over the last decade. There should no longer be gender inequality when American people are all supposed to be treated equally.

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According to a survey it is shown that many people living in America hae agreed that race relations have gotten worse in the last few years. Even though we have made major progress as time has gone on things should be continuing to get better not worse.

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A new survey shows a majority of Americans, regardless of race, agree that race relations have worsened nationally in the past year - but on questions of equality, opinions were split between white and African-American respondents.

According to a PBS Newshour/Marist Poll, a racial divide still persists on how Americans view a variety of issues, including whether blacks and whites have equal opportunities of getting hired for a job, receiving a quality education and earning equal pay for equal work.

The survey also revealed a split in how whites and African-Americans view the Black Lives Matter movement and on the Confederate flag.

"I think what we were looking at was to get a sense of Americans today and their view on race relations, and see areas of similarity, areas of disagreement," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "And to get a handle on what is obviously something that brings forth a lot of emotion, particularly in the context of recent shootings and issues of police community behavior."

Fifty-eight percent of respondents said race relations in the United States have deteriorated in the past year. When broken down by race, a majority of African-Americans (56 percent) and whites (60 percent) agree with this statement.

A majority of blacks and whites (60 percent and 74 percent respectively) also said local race relations have not changed. But perceptions of whether that lack of change should be viewed as a good or bad thing varied depending on the race of the respondent.

Whites who thought things hadn't changed were likely - at a rate of more than 2 to 1 - to think the status quo was good. African-Americans, by nearly the same ratio, tended to view that non-change negatively.

Some of the survey's widest disparities between black and white respondents were on economic and social justice issues.

For example, equal opportunity for getting hired for a job: While 52 percent of whites said they feel the opportunity to get a job was equal among whites and blacks, more than two-thirds of African-American respondents (76 percent) said it was not equal.

And when it comes to equal justice under the law, white Americans were almost evenly split. Exactly half of whites said African-Americans and Caucasians had the opportunity for equal justice under the law, while 46 percent disagreed. Among African-Americans, only 11 percent said the opportunity for equal justice is shared by blacks and whites, while 87 percent said it was not.

According to the PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll, the Black Lives Matter movement is perceived by more than 8 in 10 African-Americans (82 percent) as a mainly nonviolent movement. Additionally, 65 percent of blacks say the movement focuses attention on real issues of discrimination.

The poll found 43 percent of white respondents agree it is a mainly nonviolent civil rights movement, but 41 percent say it does advocate some level of violence. And nearly two-thirds of white respondents (59 percent) say Black Lives Matter distracts attention from racial discrimination.

There's an unsurprising split in opinion over the Confederate flag; a majority of whites see it as a symbol of Southern pride, while most African-Americans see it as a symbol of racism.

There appears to be some agreement in the survey, particularly on the topic of the opportunity for fair media portrayal among African-Americans and whites. By wide margins, both African-Americans (14 percent yes to 84 percent no) and whites (27 percent yes to 67 percent no) say the media does not provide a fair portrayal of the races equally.

The findings will be discussed during a Monday night PBS broadcast of America After Charleston with Gwen Ifill.

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How Equal Is American Opportunity? Survey Shows Attitudes Vary By Race

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A new survey shows a majority of Americans, regardless of race, agree that race relations have worsened nationally in the past year - but on questions of equality, opinions were split between white and African-American respondents.

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This TED Talk is explaining what it means to be a good 20th century leader. Most people think of this superhero leader who commands and protects his followers. Althoug the speaker here claims that that is a quite outdated definition.

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The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this clear, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.

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What the word America represents around the world

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What the word America represents around the world

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People around the world are asked what comes to mind when they hear the word America. A few common themes happen to be money, freedom, and fast food.

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BANGKOK -- The rest of the world may think Americans eat a lot of burgers, have huge shopping malls and are ruled by an arrogant government. And yet the "Ugly American," it would seem, isn't all bad. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power.

While many Americans feel their nation is divided as never before, a sampling of the rest of the world reflects a more charitable view.

Generations in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America have grown up under the influence of the superpower U.S. and have felt awe and envy. America permeated their lives - through comics and Coke, through Hollywood and Neil Armstrong, and via the internet, iPhone and Facebook. It has been seen as the land of plenty, freedom and equality where Indian migrants could head behemoths like Google, Microsoft and Pepsi, and a South African could capture the imagination with an electric car. And after 9/11, the world grieved with America.

Yet, America's admirers have felt betrayed by other shades of the American character: the military interventions in Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere; the gun violence; the right (inexplicable to many) to carry weapons; the deep and angry racial divisions; and, lately, a presidential nominee calling for harsh restrictions on Muslims and Mexicans.

The Associated Press sent reporters across the world to ask ordinary people about their views of America. And in the opinions that came back, some clear threads emerge, anecdotal yet illuminating.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "AMERICA"? DESCRIBE THE COUNTRY AS YOU SEE IT:
"The first word that comes to mind when I hear the word America is 'Arrogance.' They are big and loud and they are in charge of everything." - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto

"Capitalism. Money rules everything. Overweight people, Donald Trump, elections, shootings." - Ingerlise Kristensen, 68, retired bank employee, Copenhagen, Denmark

"America is food ... fast food and (Coca) Cola. It's cars. It's the many electronics we have ... the bridge in San Francisco." - Ksenia Smertova, 21, student, Moscow

"America? Uhh, that's a huge country. Burgers, the American dream, choppers, ... Elvis, cowboys. We dream of America and they dream about Europe. But one thing for sure, they cannot make beer." - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway

"Everything in America is high tech!" - B.S. Mehta, 34, health insurance agent, New Delhi

"Has a very liberal culture, great people and a country that drives innovation." - Shitij, 26, sales and marketing worker, New Delhi

"A lot of (consumer) products. A lot of dresses, and cars, and all that. A society that has more things than our society." - Antara Rao, 18, economics student, New Delhi

"(America) welcomes all different races." - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines

"It is powerful." - Gennelyn Escopete, 33, DVD street vendor, Manila, Philippines

"Probably capitalism, but I see it more as freedom ... that every person can do what he wants, when he wants - true freedom, but it costs a lot I think, and sometimes it brings you lower than takes you higher." - Karin Cohen, 25, bookshop worker, Jerusalem

"The first thing I think when I hear United States is a world power." - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, juice seller, Havana

"It is a world imperialist power country. Obviously (the people) don't have much to do with the government's political decisions but I do think that it is a big, powerful country that has always tried to dominate countries it doesn't favor." - Rosa Moscoso, 42, Havana

"A country of freedom, particularly freedom of thought. And it's a country with quite advanced technology industries. You see, I even have two iPhones." - Liu Xiaodan, 30, hotel manager, Beijing

"America is a country that produces a massive amount of cultural output such as Hollywood movies, music and many other (forms of) entertainment." - Sam Wang, 20, university student, Beijing

"My image of America is a country that goes to war anywhere in the world," - Susumu Inoue, 82, retired agricultural lab technician, Tokyo

"I think of Major League Baseball," Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo
TALK ABOUT ONE EXPERIENCE YOU'VE HAD WITH AMERICA OR AN AMERICAN:
"I have been in the States a few times ... It is a great country and would love to live there. People are nice but superficial. Not sure whether I actually am ready to move there because it must be a tough country to live in. I prefer it here. It is more cozy (laughing), less restrictive ...(made drinking gesture)." - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway

"When I was driving to North Carolina I stopped at McDonald's. I was wearing a T-shirt that said, 'You Can't Get This In The States.' The fellow in line asked me in a very American accent, 'Y'all can't get what in the States?' I explained it was a joke, I was from Canada. And he said, 'Oh Canada! Y'all get snow up there.'" - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto

"I was stunned to see how big everything is over there. Shopping malls, meals, people, cars. We in Europe have smaller things ... What I liked when I was over there was the service level, it was very high. But people expect to be tipped so that is why they are so services-minded. Their approach is different from ours ... we do it because we care about others, they do it because they get tips ... they were raised that way." - Ingerlise Kristensen, 68, retired bank employee, Copenhagen, Denmark

"I had a roommate ... a Californian, when I was in Korea as a college exchange student. She was a happy person, better than my Chinese roommate ... there were three of us in the room. The American was easy to talk with and we had a lot of things in common. (She believed) that the people's voice should be heard." - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines

"A friend had an American friend over and he was surprised to see how laid back we are. He also emptied my friend's fridge, saying he's used to eating and drinking whenever he feels hungry or thirsty. And he drank tap water ... oh no!" - Kenni Friis, 28, computer technology student, Copenhagen, Denmark

"They're generous. If we ask for a high price, they don't bargain. They're calm and kind and friendly and they like to smile." - Gennelyn Escopete, 33, DVD street vendor, Manila, Philippines

"There is a lot of misconception about their politics. I've seen that many times they are very charismatic, friendly but that does not mean that they share the political thinking of the United States (government)." - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana

"I think the way they are talking and dealing with personal relations is quite direct. They just like speaking their mind, which is a reason that I don't feel quite comfortable going around with Americans." - Liu Xiaodan, 30, hotel manager, Beijing

"My impression of Americans is that they uncomplicated. Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other." - Men Xuezhi, 54, doctor, Beijing

"I don't like American guys who always pursue their own personal interests. I prefer hanging out with Canadians or students from Europe, because at least they are quite polite." - Li Jiaqi, 23, college student in U.S., renewing his visa in Beijing

"An American friend visiting ... came with the idea that he is going to find another America here ... I believe they should understand the values that we have as Arabs, embrace them and try to go to a more local level to comprehend why we think and why we live the way we live." - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut

"I think everyone is very tolerant there, in a way that there are all kinds of people, whether from different ethnicities, different countries, different religions. People are mostly not concerned with what another (person) is doing. There was a bit of a culture shock when I first went there because the way people dress there is very much different from the way we dress here. All of them wear shorts." - Antara Rao, 18, student, New Delhi

"I have traveled all over the United States in Greyhound buses as a tourist. I did not find any discrimination. I found the people ... very hospitable, nice and very cordial." - Kanti, 74, travel agency owner, New Delhi
WHAT MAKES AMERICANS AMERICAN? OR WHAT IDENTIFIES AS AMERICAN TO YOU?
"A black-and-white look at the world. They miss nuances." - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway

"I think there obviously is the American dream, the idea that unifies them all. They are also unified in the sense that the dream isn't really a real thing anymore. The reality doesn't match the ideal. What identifies an American? Loudness. All of the Trump stuff in the U.S. has been depressing ... you would like to think people are smarter than that ... but definitely surprising and depressing to see how much support he has and how much support his ideas have." - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto

"Americans are American because they feel (they are) better than the rest of the world but in reality we are as good as they are. They simply don't see us as their equal ... but we are. Sometimes we are even better than them . but don't tell them (laughing)." - Kenni Friis, 28, computer technology student, Copenhagen, Denmark

"You can easily distinguish an American like here in the restaurant. The Americans are more of a tipper, good tippers. Americans are gallant." - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines

"Many things ... their arrogant ideology of a powerful country and above all they have a language that is practically universal and almost everyone depends on that language. And they are a people that like having a lot of fun ... and their brands: McDonald's, all of that, makes the American identity ... or North American ... we call them North Americans rather than Americans, because we all are Americans." - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana

"Technology makes Americans American." - B.S. Mehta, 34, health insurance worker, New Delhi

"America is a land of opportunities. I think that anybody with good ideas, if they want to make a mark, it gives you an equal opportunity in that country. America stands out because people recognize merit out there." - Shitij, 26, sales and marketing worker, New Delhi

"They believe in democracy, in freedom; they are willing to die, kill, et cetera, for that. They believe in the right to have a good life and to help others to have a good life, and I think that's part of what makes them Americans." - Ziva Meizels, retiree, Jerusalem

"I think their patriotism, you know, God bless America. And it is a great country; I have visited it. It's a wonderful country and there is high security, standard of living is very high. So yes, they are fortunate, and it is God bless America - that's what makes America, America." - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut

"I think that they are formed by an ideology. There are no Americans as such. Because there is no such ethnicity. But there is an ideology that unites them all." - Zhila Gudzueva, university lecturer, Moscow

"My definition of Americans is those who are cheerful, friendly and willing to communicate." - Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo

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How Americans are perceived by the rest of the world

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BANGKOK -- The rest of the world may think Americans eat a lot of burgers, have huge shopping malls and are ruled by an arrogant government. And yet the "Ugly American," it would seem, isn't all bad. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power.

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Lots of people immigrate to America because of the opportunities that are offered here. Although they are often called immigrants rather than Americans even if they are citizens. Being American is something that a lot of people are proud of and if they live here then they want to be recognized as American because of all the hard work it took to get where they are.

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People were asked what it means to be an American and the common consensus was that being and American means freedom no matter who you are or where you come from.

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In 2014, New York Times reporter Damien Cave traveled the length of highway I-35, which runs south to north through the middle of the United States, for his "The Way North" project. Along the way, he asked 35 people, "What does it mean to be American?" These are some of their answers.

Becoming American means following the rules. It means respecting your neighbors, in your own neighborhood. -Francine Sharp, 73, retired teacher in Kansas (born in Kansas)

If you work hard, you get good things in life. -José, college student/roofer; immigrant without legal status in Tulsa, Oklahoma (born in Mexico)

Being American is making a change, and making good changes. Being American is being welcoming, being caring about other people, being proud of the country. And it's forgiveness. It's not holding grudges on anything-I mean, where's that going to get you? -Natalie Villafranca, 14, in Texas (born in Dallas)

Being American means protection by the law. Anyone can say whatever they want and, even if I don't agree with them, they're still protected by the law it's my job to enforce. That's their freedom. That's their right. -Sean Larkin, 40, sergeant with Tulsa Police Department's gang unit in Tulsa, Oklahoma (born in Virginia)

Being American is red, white and blue and being free. It doesn't matter what language you speak; if you're born in America, you're still American. No matter what you look like, no matter what. -Sebastien de la Cruz, 12, student who gained attention, and backlash, when he sang the national anthem during the 2013 NBA finals in a mariachi outfit (born and lives in San Antonio)

I want all girls, especially girls of color, to know that they can be a part of science. And more than that, they can be leaders in science. I want them to know that, because I know that I am America. That I am science. I'm just the part that people refuse to recognize. -Taylor R., 13, speaking about her ambitions at the March for Science in April 2017

The following excerpts are from other Americans discussing what they think it means to "be American." Among these voices are historians and writers who think about this topic a lot, as well as individuals from other walks of life who participated in a discussion for the documentary film A More Perfect Union.

Precisely because we are not a people held together by blood, no one knows who an American is except by what they believe. It's important that we do know our history, because our history is the source of our Americanness. -Historian Gordon Wood

When people wrote "All men are created equal," they really meant men; but they didn't mean any other men except white men who owned land. That's what they meant. But because the ideas are powerful, there's no way that they could get away with holding to that. It's not possible when you have an idea that's as powerful and as revolutionary as a country founded on the idea that just because you're in the world, just because you're here, you have a right to certain things that are common to all humanity. That's really what we say in those documents. The idea that we begin the Constitution with, "We, the People" . . . even though they didn't mean me! They had no idea I'd ever want to make a claim on that. And they'd have been horrified if they'd known that any of us would. But you can't let that powerful an idea out into the world without consequences. -Writer Rosemary Bray

The American Dream has no meaning for me. What it was founded on, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, in many ways I feel are used as billy clubs against minorities and cultural minorities, whether they be gay, or different in any way from the norm in this country. I, for example, don't think I'd like to go to California because of what I look like. I could be pulled over and carded, and I would have to prove my ancestry. And look how long my family has been in northern New Mexico. Ten to twelve generations! -Vicente Martinez

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In 2014, New York Times reporter Damien Cave traveled the length of highway I-35, which runs south to north through the middle of the United States, for his "The Way North" project. Along the way, he asked 35 people, "What does it mean to be American?" These are some of their answers.

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A·mer·i·can

əˈmerəkən/

adjective

1. relating to or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants.

noun

1. a native or citizen of the United States.

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America is named the land of opportunity because almost everyone who comes to America has a chance to become successful. In terms of success, everyone has a different definition of it and therefore everyone has their own opportunities to be successful in their own eyes.

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This infographic uses data from a survey of 2,000 Americans to show what "making it" means to them.

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This quote by James Truslow Adams basically embodies what the American Dream is. The United States as a country has a reputation that you are able to come here and be whoever you want to be and achieve whatever you want to achieve.