Empires come and go. The United States with ruinous wars, a bloated Pentagon budget and an economy that spews red ink may have a short imperial shelf life. Recall the words of President Eisenhower in his 1961 Farewell Address. He warned of the "conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry. The total influence, economic, political, even spiritual, is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government....we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications....we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

Johann Galtung of Norway is a leading advocate of non-violent solutions to resolving conflicts. He is founder and director of Transcend, a global network for conflict resolution. Among his many books are Choose Peace and Peace by Peaceful Means. He is the winner of the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize.