What's in it for Everyone (1959)

the [Music] this is what I guess you'd call a bonus program that is there's nothing to sell or buy but simply some excellent advice that will pay dividends for all of us by the way I'm Robert Ryan and a group of your fellow citizens serious likable people have arranged for me to say a few words about your long-term future I referring now to the age old International System of War and what can be done about it so that you'll be around to enjoy a long-term future now don't smile I almost know what you're thinking there's always been War we can't do anything about it but before I argue the case I want you to take a look at what I call my comic snapshots of History history this is Mortimer q zilz and the year is around 1800 zilch in addition to being an authority on taxes government reform and other matters also has considerable knowledge about boats he has just had a long argument with Robert fton and according to him Fulton is a dangerous dreamer no boat will ever run on steam or any such nonsense [Music] this is America 1875 these men have just been listening to Alexander Graham Bell and they're laughing because they know you can't talk into a wire and have anything come out the other end later when they calm down they AG greed that b was a dangerous radical and probably belonged in jail the man on the left is Mortimer zil [Music] thei this crowd is listening to a speech by Mortimer Q zilch IV this is 1940 and he is explaining that that disarmament is a lot of nonsense the nations of the world will never get together and anyway the United States will never be involved in another War this peaceful spot is where zilch was buried in 1945 he died of lead poisoning the 30 caliber kind because in spite of his predictions it seems there was a war [Music] this is the United Nations Headquarters this is a going concern and if zilch I 5 lives to a ripe old age it will be largely due to the continued success of this Union of mankind [Music] now ask yourself is it either safe or sensible to say that you can't stop Wars because it has never been done or do you insist upon being a zilch no we simply substitute the force of law for the law of force war will not vanish in a vacuum it must be replaced by a more powerful effective and just instrument now what does this mean in our terms the United Nations is the instrument but it must be improved it must have the power of law to disarm all nations down to what they need to keep order at home it must have the right to recruit and maintain its own inspection police and Armed Forces it must have the authority to decide international disputes in courts of Law and to enforce its laws upon individuals as well as Nations but also the UN must have proper safeguards so that there will be no abuse of these new powers now you're probably thinking that's fine but who would do it and how would my fellow citizens agree and and more important would the nations of the world go along with this well I've learned that when asking people to do something new or difficult their first question is what's in it for me the answers would even appeal to zilch we could be secure from War and the fear of War we could eliminate the draft our young people could plan their lives as people rather than as military replacement ments our taxes could be cut 70 or 80% and we would still have more natural resources to use for schools and housing hospitals roads and consumer [Music] goods by a release strong support of the United Nations we could keep our role as champions of freedom without the fear of offending important allies we could not only prosper and secure our lives but we could ease the dangerous pressure throughout the world you see in many parts of the world standards are so low that there's no way to go but up these people now know that their misery is not necessary so they will insist on sharing these benefits with us [Music] but can we really help them and at the same time pour billions into the Armament races the answer is no but the world's peoples can gain this economic progress and keep their self-respect if worldwide disarming through enforcable World law is achieved and what is the alternative well it's a continuation of the old runaround we give a little the Soviet Union gives a little and tempers get thinner because nothing has been solved until we stop pushing the Kremlin against a closed door we will never learn whether they would be prepared to go through an open one you see these nations and people want to be free in their own right on their own terms they can achieve that kind of Independence only in an ordered World in which the small and weak are as safe and Sovereign as the Great and Powerful in this way lies their future and our own security consider these problems and you will see the national disarmament and un police with the authority of enforcable law behind them could solve our basic differences in many parts of the world today we have Injustice and today's Injustice inevitably becomes tomorrow's struggle Germany Korea Vietnam and cashmir are unhappily divided Eastern European nations are dominated by Soviet might and can only fight with their bare hands against Soviet tanks 600 million Chinese are beyond our influence because the UN as it is constructed would have trouble with their aggressive government [Music] but these problems can be resolved with your help by creating a strengthen United [Music] [Applause] [Music] Nations in the first place agreed solutions to these problems would stick because the UN given the authority of law would not permit them to be broken The Divided Nations could be allowed to unite without fear on either side that these nations could become Military Allies of the opponent even those Millions living under predatory rulers could be embraced by a world organization that was capable of controlling the Menace of these rulers to others so along with what's in it for you we can say that there's something in it for everyone the more we consider the world's vast problems the more one is convinced that the law of force must be change to the force of law this is the key that unlocks the doors to peace prosperity freedom and justice for all for if these doors remain remain locked man is doomed to expire in an heirless room but if these doors are unlocked the whole Genius of man can burst forth into the open the key is just an enforcable World law and the key will be forged and cut however stubborn the metal may be to mine to manufacture and to shape [Music] there can be no effective military defense against modern weapons therefore no National Security without World Peace no world peace without International Justice no International Justice without World law and no acceptable effective World Law Without institutions to make interpret and enforce it for peace is more than the absence of War peace is even more than the achievement of disarmament peace is the presence of justice of law of order in short of [Music] government this program part of a series the eight steps to peace is being brought to you as an educational public service by the pier Butler Jr foundation for education in world