An Interview with Dr. Paxswell
 Dr. Claude Paxwell is a noted peace activist and author of several books on conflict resolution. He obtained a degree in philosophy from Aix-Marseille University in 1979 and gained some distinction for his research on Satre. Prior to America's invasion of Iraq, he confined himself to mostly theoretical issues of epistomology. However, since that event he became more interested in the interplay between economics and aggression. A resident of Aix, he is currently a visiting professor of Peace Studies at George Fox University. He was interviewed at a peace conference in Hiroshima recently by T Newfields. |
| Q: | In your view, what are the main obstacles to world peace? |
| A: | Lack of world government. The control of the world is in the hands of a few powerful governments and big businesses. The system is corrupt and unfair. Most of the world's people are voiceless and powerless. C'est dommage! |
| Q: | Why have previous attempts at peace been unsuccessful? |
| A: | The reasons vary. Believing people will accept a single ideology is naive. Humanity is simply too diverse for that. Yet we do need to embrace some type of tolerance and acceptance - a sort of meta-belief that respects diversity. I have come to believe that eating meat causes at least some degree of human aggression. Many people are poisoned by the food they eat as well as the thoughts they think. |
| Q: | So you believe the United Nations can be a vehicle for peace? |
| A: | At the moment it's merely a pawn in the hands of more powerful interests. As such, it is little more than a farce. However, it has potential to become something greater. |
| Q: | What can individuals do to contribute to peace? |
| A: | Well, we can start by looking at our own sphere of influence. We can generate harmony in small ways. If you are interested in big change, however, you have to shift an entire social paradigm. N'est-il pas aussi? Quite ambitious. |
| Q: | . . . Under current conditions, how likely do you feel another world war is? |
| A: | Since most political leaders have various degrees of testerone poisoning, quite likely. And as the world population soars and food gets scarcer and scarcer, military conflicts are more and more likely to erupt. |
| Q: | Thanks for your time. |
| A: | Well, time is running out for all of us. Unless we change the course of current events, there is little reason to feel hopeful about the future. More people need to think about issues beyond their personal comfort. And yet if humans screw it up, many other life forms would disappear along with us. Our guilt is obvious. Theirs is not. |
