www.PeopleNow.org

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

 “By far the most important initiative and best opportunity for reform in the world ever”




DRAFT

SDG Target 16.1.3 & Target Action Plan #19


TAP19 Permanently Disarm and Demilitarize:

TA 19.4.1 Demilitarize and Phase out All Military Forces and Offensive Weapons

 

     Have the UN outlaw all offensive weapons and military forces internationally and have all countries immediately disarm and phase out all military forces

     Phase out NATO, DoD, the CIA, NSA and other intelligence agencies

     Convert most of the MIC into co-ops to produce products to help implement SDG TAPs and the Green New Deal, in particular to reverse global warming and end poverty

     Demilitarize and phase out all military forces and offensive weapons



(Updated June 14, 2021)

(This is a work in progress. Please provide comments/suggestions/additional actions to

 PeopleNow.org by email: info@PeopleNow.org)

 

19    Permanently disarm and demilitarize

 

19.1 Introduction

 

This Plan outlines the actions required to permanently disarm, demilitarize and convert most of the Department of Defense and Military Industrial Complex (DOD-MIC) personnel, resources and spending into Co-ops .


It also provides a rough draft of a proposed "Defense conversion doctrine for the U.S.”


The plan is to end all wars by implementing TAP 18 and then implement this plan and TAP 20.


Table of Contents

 

Introduction

 

19.2 Purpose

 

19.3Objectives

 

19.4Actions

    19.4.1    Demilitarize and Phase out All Military Forces and Offensive Weapons and Eliminate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and Military Tribunals

    19.4.2    Convert as much as possible of the DOD bases, facilities and transport, ships, vehicles and aircraft for use by co-ops to provide products and services, in particular, to implement the UN SDGs, for example:

    19.4.3    Have the UN and their Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA) outlaw all offensive weapons and military forces internationally and have all countries immediately disarm and phase out all military forces

    19.4.4    Apply Lessons Learned by the Soviets and Others When they Decreased the Size of their Armed Forces and Converted their Defense Industries

    19.4.5    Develop and Implement a Defense Conversion Doctrine

    19.4.6    Reorganize, Fully Fund, Demilitarize and Strengthen the State Guards (Currently Called National Guards), the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and Similar Organizations

    19.4.7    Phase out NATO, DoD, the CIA, NSA, other intelligence agencies and all illegal programs

    19.4.8    Convert Most of the Military-Industrial-Complex (MIC) Factories, Personnel and Resources into Co-ops to Provide Product and Services to implement the UN SDGs, in particular to reverse global warming and end poverty

    19.4.9    Transfer/Employ All of the DOD-MIC Civilian and Military Personnel Including U. S. Troops and Government Contractors Coming Home from Overseas with no layoffs to Provide Leadership, Training, Planning, Technical Personnel and Workers to implement the UN SDGs in

    19.4.11   Use time and materials type contracts with no profits, overhead, G&A, or percentages of any kind in all these contracts

    19.4.12  Government Help Workers Establish or Purchase and Operate Companies as Co-Ops

    19.4.13  Conduct the Contracting, Work, Bookkeeping and Disbursement of Funds Locally

    19.4.14  Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and give Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba

    19.4.15  U.S. Develop Plans and Lead Efforts to Disable All Nuclear and other Offensive Weapons Worldwide

 

19.5Background

    19.5.1    No viable, military threats to the U.S. exist

    19.5.2    Wars are illegal and unconstitutional.

    19.5.3    The Department of Defenses and Energy (nuclear weapons work) employs over three million individuals and spends about a trillion dollars a year

    19.5.4     About 90% of DoD resources and funds are being wasted

         19.5.4.1 Primary excuse - if defense funding is cut, unemployment will increase.

         19.5.4.2 The answer - Full Employment with former U.S. troops and MIC workers organized and working in Co-ops and new WPAs and CCCs or on items in the Common Agenda

 

19.5.5 Maintain the Status of this Plan Up to Date and Available to the Public


_____________________

 

19.2   Purpose


Provide a general plan to permanently disarm, end militarism, phase out the standing military and convert about 90% of the Department of Defense and military industrial complex (DoD-MIC) personnel, facilities, land, vehicles, aircraft, small craft, funding, contracts, and other resources to strengthened State Guards and the UN peacekeepers and for work outlined in the Common Agenda for a peaceful, just, prosperous world with no involuntary layoffs with the remaining 10% used for the common defense.

 

19.3  Objectives:

 

19.3.1     Develop and implement a “Defense Doctrine,” Endnote for the U.S. based on cooperation and diplomacy with other Nations.

 

19.3.2    Help organize and strengthen State Guards to become more effective, ready and able to execute their Constitutional and other responsibilities.

 

19.3.3     Develop plans to rapidly decrease the size of standing armies and inventories of offensive weapons with the U.S. taking the lead. Ultimately outlaw large standing armies and offensive weapons.

 

19.3.4    Provide the heart of a dedicated workforce of planners, logisticians, technicians and workers to address the serious challenges including global warming\climate change, developing and implementing sustainable energy sources to replace carbon and nuclear power based sopurces and providing a decent life now and in the future for all mankind.

 

19.3.5    A thriving effective prosperous, peaceful, just, sustainable green world economy that has effectively integrated DoD-MIC personnel, facilities, land, vehicles, industries and other resources.

 

19.4  Actions

 

19.4.1    Demilitarize and Phase out All Military Forces and Offensive Weapons and Eliminate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and Military Tribunals

 

19.4.2    Convert as much as possible of the DOD bases, facilities and transport, ships, vehicles and aircraft for use by co-ops to provide products and services, in particular, to implement the UN SDGs, for example:

 

    19.4.2.1 Bases, facilities, buildings to plan, train and manage work on the UN SDG TAPs

 

    19.4.2.2 National Guard helicopters, C-130, C-17 and other military aircraft equipped with advanced sensors and precision delivery (PCAD) systems for fighting wild fires and combating hazardous material incidents.

 

    19.4.2.3 Barracks as dormitories and emergency housing

 

    19.4.2.4 Land to build affordable housing and communities

 

    19.4.2.5 Hospitals and clinics which are being closed turned into hospitals and clinics that provide publicly supported, free comprehensive physical, dental, and mental health care for everyone, civilians, military and veterans, and also educate and trains, doctors, nurses, dentists, nurses aids and other health care personnel.

 

    19.4.2.6 Firefighting training facilities on bases to train civilian firefighters.

 

    19.4.2.7 Environmental friendly, energy efficient, safe versions of the products that they normally produce e.g. Maglev, Rail and trolleys instead of automobiles.

 

    19.4.2.8 New items needed for the work outlined in the Common Agenda.

 

19.4.3    Have the UN and their Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA) outlaw all offensive weapons and military forces internationally and have all countries immediately disarm and phase out all military forces

 

19.4.3.1 U.S. ratify the Rome Statute and join the ICC.

 

19.4.4    Apply Lessons Learned by the Soviets and Others When they Decreased the Size of their Armed Forces and Converted their Defense Industries


Russia and other former Soviet block countries have considerable experience and have learned many lessons about reducing their armed forces and converting their military industries for civilian purposes which they began in the late 1980's.


Much of this early experience is described in two articles published on pages 16-20, Vol. 46, No. 1, Jan/Feb 1990 issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. (http://bit.ly/pa7yQd). Much more similar and less dated information is available and being researched.


The following is paraphrased from these articles with key points bolded for emphasis by the compiler.

 

    19.4.4.1 Guns Into Butter, Soviet Style by Leonid Vid, deputy chairman of the U.S.S.R. State Planning Committee (Gosplan):

 

    19.4.4.2 “Soon after the signing of the Soviet-U.S. treaty on intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in December 1987, our top economic priority became conversion with two elements:

 

              19.4.4.2.1   reduction of the armed forces and

 

              19.4.4.2.2   transforming military into civilian production.

              

         we began reducing military production and arms spending in early 1988. This aspect of the conversion process was formalized on March 21, 1989. [The Russians have a twenty four years lead, but the U.S. could quickly catch up.]

 

[Shortly after this, Soviet officials proposed to U.S. officials, substantial reductions in Soviet and U. S. nuclear weapons and other arms which sadly U.S. officials rejected.]

 

the essence and main problem of conversion concerns the second element - the diversification and retooling of the armaments industry and its research and design branches.

 

Long term planning is crucial for the demilitarization of national economies in countries such as the United States and the Soviet Union, because the conversion process involves many sectors of production and must have constant political guidance, as well as government supervision.”

 

By 1990, 400 defense plants were being retooled to manufacture more civilian products, while some other plants had been temporarily closed for major reconstruction. Three defense plants were ready for complete conversion

 

As defense plants started producing machinery and equipment to process agricultural goods, they found that civilian research institutes were preparing designs that did not meet modern requirements.

 

Actually, the high cost of goods produced at defense plants is one of the negative aspects of conversion.

 

Another difficulty of conversion concerns military equipment that is unusable for civilian production.

 

Conversion in the United States and the Soviet Union should be actively and consistently buttressed by political decisions and agreements furthering the disarmament process and building up trust.”

 

19.4.4.3  Conversion or Chaos? by John P. Hardt, Associate Director of the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. Excerpts:

 

19.4.4.3.1       Leonid Vid’s frank and revealing article suggests that for the Soviets, conversion is a much broader and longer term policy than so far has been assumed in the West [Mr. Hardt stated this in early1990 - sadly it is still very true today].

 

19.4.4.3.2       I would contend that a major, immediate shift from defense to civilian growth is necessary - and an end to the privileged access to resources enjoyed by the military.

 

    19.4.4.4 The choice between guns and butter rests on three potential policy shifts:

 

    19.4.4.5 Implementing a defensive military doctrine [our Constitution requires a common defense not offense] would greatly reduce the priority requirements of the military on the economy, in terms of both quantity and quality.

 

    19.4.4.6 The pursuit of global interdependence according to Gorbachev’s “new thinking” would downgrade the role of military forces and military aid.

 

    19.4.4.7 The allocation of resources now and in the upcoming five-year plan, to fulfill consumption requirements would reinforce the reduction of the military sector’s priority.”

 

19.4.5    Develop and Implement a Defense Conversion Doctrine. The development of a Defense Doctrine was recommended by John P. Hardt, Associate Director of the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, in his article “Conversion or Chaos?" about the Soviets transforming from military to civilian production

 

19.4.6    Reorganize, Fully Fund, Demilitarize and Strengthen the State Guards (Currently Called National Guards), the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and Similar Organizations as necessary to play major roles in conversion and other responsibilities

 

19.4.7    Phase out NATO, DoD, the CIA, NSA, other intelligence agencies and all illegal programs. Also cease:

 

         19.4.7.1 The War on Terror, torture, assassinations, secret arrests, renditions, abusive treatment of detainees and prisoners, use of paramilitaries, spying on the people of the U.S. etc. and CIA spending on drones.

 

         19.4.7.2 Overtly or covertly, intervening in the internal affairs or attempting "regime changes" in any country.

 

         19.4.7.3 Deployments of U. S. Ships, aircraft, members or units of the U. S. Armed Forces and military contractors

 

         19.4.7.4 Using the U. S. Military outside or inside the United States while it is being converted

 

19.4.8    Convert Most of the Military-Industrial-Complex (MIC) Factories, Personnel and Resources into Co-ops to Provide Product and Services to implement the UN SDGs, in particular to reverse global warming and end poverty.

 

    19.4.8.1 Also, we should have the co-ops manufacturing materials and equipments to resolve the coronavirus crisis including:

 

    19.4.8.2 Ventilators, respirators and oxygen supplies

 

    19.4.8.3 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for Doctors, Nurses, Patients and Emergency Responders (e.g. N95 Masks, Swabs, Gloves, Gowns, etc.)

 

    19.4.8.3.1   Disinfectants, isopropyl alcohol, hand sanitizers, wipes, etc.

 

19.4.9    Transfer/Employ All of the DOD-MIC Civilian and Military Personnel Including U. S. Troops and Government Contractors Coming Home from Overseas with no layoffs to Provide Leadership, Training, Planning, Technical Personnel and Workers to implement the UN SDGs in:

 

    19.4.9.1 A New Works Projects Administration (WPA) Equivalents

 

    19.4.9.2 New Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

 

    19.4.9.3 Work on the UN SDG TAPs

 

    19.4.9.4 The Peace Corps

 

    19.4.9.5 State Guards, which will be under the control of state governments

 

As appropriate and if eligible these individuals can go to college, go back to their old job, or find a new job. There will be employment opportunities for all and no involuntary layoffs although transfers will obviously be necessary.

 

19.4.10  Convert Most DOD Contracts From Producing Weapon Systems to Producing Products by Co-Ops to implement UN SDGs. For example, instead of producing F35 fighter/bombers and aerial tankers, build firefighting aircraft to combat the ever increasing wildfire threat which is being exacerbated by global warming. This work should employ modern technologies such as stir welding of aluminum. Also, these firefighting aircraft should be equipped with modern technology including heat/fire sensors, night vision, GPS, all weather capability, sophisticated digital sensors and communications and the precision firefighting system.

 

19.4.11   Use time and materials type contracts with no profits, overhead, G&A, or percentages of any kind in all these contracts

 

19.4.12  Government Help Workers Establish or Purchase and Operate Companies as Co-Ops.

 

19.4.13  Conduct the Contracting, Work, Bookkeeping and Disbursement of Funds Locally using:

 

    19.4.13.1    Time and materials type contracts with companies not paid a profit or percentage of the value of the contract

 

    19.4.13.2    Temporary or permanent government hires with managers and workers paid wages at the Davis Bacon local prevailing rates. (Review, refine and revise these rates as necessary)

 

    19.4.13.3    This will speed up contracting and reduce costs

 

19.4.14  Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and give Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba. The following was taken from Win Without War’s petition to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. It reads: “To President Biden:

 

19.4.14.1    One of the most disastrous policies of the Bush administration was opening the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

 

19.4.14.2    I urge you to end indefinite detention of the prisoners currently being held and close the Guantanamo prison immediately. All prisoners who have been cleared for release must be repatriated and resettled abroad. The remaining detainees’ cases [for which there is legally obtained probable cause] should be transferred to federal court for prosecution.

 

19.4.14.3    Over the past 19 years, Guantanamo Bay Detention Center has become synonymous with unconstitutional abuse and torture, injustice, and institutionalized Islamophobia. These steps will help close the chapter of this shameful episode.”


 

19.4.15  U.S. Develop Plans and Lead Efforts to Disable All Nuclear and other Offensive Weapons Worldwide

 

19.4.15.1    Take the lead on complete disarmament and the cessation of the nuclear arms race and complete disarmament as required by Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which requires: pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

 

Nuclear weapons are illegal [also immoral and no longer a deterrent] as stated in the book Nuclear Weapons are Illegal, The Historic opinion of the World Court and how it will be enforced, edited with an introduction by Ann Fagan Ginger, Executive Director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute, Berkeley, California.


 

19.4.15.2    Cease expending any funds on any nuclear weapon development programs or to improve or refine existing programs.

 

    19.4.15.2.1     Build on ongoing initiatives and develop a comprehensive Plan for the United States Role in Global Nuclear Disarmament which includes identifying obstacles and the underlying reasons for these obstacles and proposes short and long range solutions.

 

    19.4.15.3     Provide full funding and attention to securing all nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon materials and nuclear reactor waste as rapidly as possible.

 

    19.4.15.4    Conduct meaningful negotiations with all of the world's nuclear powers on the phase out of all nuclear weapons.

 

    19.4.15.5     Immediately remove all U.S. weapons of mass destruction including any nuclear weapons from the Mideast as required by Article 14 of UN Security Council resolution 687.

 

    19.4.15.6    Assist in maintaining the world Nuclear Weapons Free and ensure that there are no nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction on any U.S. Ships or in possession of any other U.S. forces in the world. This resolution calls for "establishing in the Middle East a zone free from weapons of mass destruction and all missiles for their delivery."

 

    19.4.15.7    Eliminate funding for nuclear weapon development and improvement programs including bombplex/"complex transformation", the reliable replacement warhead (RRW) programs and any other nuclear proliferation initiatives. This is required by Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).


Accomplishing the above will strengthen the U.S. government's position when requesting that other states such as Iran and North Korea not develop nuclear weapons and will encourage other countries to help with other serious problems.

 

19.4.16  Other offensive weapons to be outlawed include:

 

    19.4.16.1    Armed and spy drones. Considerable detailed information about drones are provided at www.droneswatch.org.

 

    19.4.16.2    Weapons in space

 

    19.4.16.3    Anti ballistic missile systems.

 

    19.4.16.4    Depleted uranium

 

    19.4.16.5    Napalm

 

    19.4.16.6    Agent Orange

 

    19.4.16.7    Land mines

 

    19.4.16.8    Chemical Weapons

 

    19.4.16.9    

 

         19.4.16.10  All offensive weapon systems including:

 

         19.4.16.10.1   Nuclear weapons

 

         19.4.16.10.2   Anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems

 

         19.4.16.10.3   Armed and spy drones

 

         19.4.16.10.4   All combat aircraft and warships in particular nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers

 

         19.4.16.10.5   Land mines


 

19.5  Background

 

    19.5.1    No viable, military threats to the U.S. exist. No country has even one twentieth of the existing functional arsenal or weapon systems building programs that the U.S. has. Terrorist acts against the U. S. will essentially disappear when TAP 18 is implemented.

 

    19.5.2    Wars are illegal and unconstitutional.

 

         19.5.2.1 Wars have been illegal and all conflicts must be settled by peaceful means since the Kellogg-Briand Pact, an international treatment to outlaw war, was signed in 1928 and ratified by the Senate in 1929

 

         19.5.2.2 As outlined in Attachment A, the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land, clearly shows that:

 

         19.5.2.3 Standing armies are to be “raised” by Congress when needed and should not be permanent.

 

         19.5.2.4  Militias (State Guards) are supposed to “repel invasions” which they could easily do since we have no real enemies

 

    19.5.3    The Department of Defenses and Energy (nuclear weapons work) employs over three million individuals and spends about a trillion dollars a year. Despite there being no threats and wars being illegal.:

 

The Department of Defense employs over three million well educated highly trained individuals, 95% percent of whom have high school diplomas versus 79 percent of the national work force. 450,000 of them are stationed overseas. They include every profession. They have been provided technical, leadership, and professional development and core values of duty, integrity, ethics, honor, courage, and loyalty have been reinforced throughout their careers.

 

DoD has several hundred thousand individual buildings and structures at more than 5,000 different locations or sites and over 30 million acres of land.

 

When the cost of wars and all supporting agencies and activities are counted, DoD-MIC spends over a trillion dollars a year.

 

    19.5.4     About 90% of DoD resources and funds are being wasted on illegal wars, drone attacks, covert operations and useless Cold War weapons systems, and overseas bases that are generating terrorists and ill will against the U.S.

 

         19.5.4.1 Primary excuse - if defense funding is cut, unemployment will increase.

 

         19.5.4.2 The answer - Full Employment with former U.S. troops and MIC workers organized and working in Co-ops and new WPAs and CCCs or on items in the Common Agenda: infrastructure repair, alternative energy sources, heath care for all, affordable housing, etc. This work will be therapeutic and will improve the self-esteem of all involved

 

19.5.5        Maintain the Status of this Plan Up to Date and Available to the Public


The status of all of these items should be continually maintained and available to the public on the White House web site.