Letter: Let’s pursue peace rather than missiles

Thanks to Dr. Seiji Yamada for his commentary, “Don’t place interceptor missiles in Hawaii” (Star-Advertiser, Feb. 10).

When will we, the people, put an end to the greed of the military-industrial complex mega-corporations like Boeing that become rich as Croesus off citizens’ fears and apathy, all in favor of spiraling global arms races?

As the good doctor and his Physicians for Social Responsibility point out, deployment of missiles will make Hawaii a logical target in the event of hostilities. But it goes deeper than that: Recent news reports note that Russia is nearing success in developing “invincible” missiles. We can be sure that its program will cost Russia a fraction of the multi-billions of dollars laid out by U.S. taxpayers as the Department of Defense and the military-industrial complex chase their tails.

We need, among other positive changes such as an end to belligerence in our foreign misadventures, to stand up a Department of Peace as a counter to the defense-cum-offense industry and view the pursuit of peace as the first option on the table, not a limp, non-muscular non-subject.

Robert H. Stiver

Pearl City