But as there is an interplay between individual and collective, there comes a point at which the range of our choice is not defined by individuals, but by the collective. Within that framework we must count our social and political institutions. If these institutions don't come from the same type of place we want to be coming form ourselves, we will never know a world of harmony and peace. The most timely example of this is the situation in the Persian Gulf. Where finite resources are concerned, they must be used prudently and always priced according to their scarcity.
True security is the degree to which sufficiency in balance with nature is achieved by all nations.
Security is not the product of military might. The difference is who sells what to whom. Dependence upon the consumption of finite resources on a finite planet must concentrate control of those resources in the hands of the few. Living in balance with nature's renewable gifts, on the other hand, allows for decentralization of production, more local self-reliance, and greater grassroots democratic control. One may argue that 'this Democrat' or 'that Republican' is better than the other.