March 1983

Understanding Inc. P.O. Box 614 Alamogordo, NM 88311

THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

The major nations of the world today are engaged in the greatest race for armaments that this world has ever seen. Every efficient means of destruction is being harnessed and developed to its highest possible degree of perfection.

Almost everyone in the United States deplores the possibility of war, and hopes sincerely that it will never occur, yet millions in this country are devoting their entire energies and abilities to the production of the means to wage it more effectively and more destructively. We are doing this, we say, only in self defense, our official attitude toward the government of the Soviet Union, which is our chief competitor in the arms race, is that it is a government that came into being through the use of force; it exists and expands by the use of force; it understands and respects only force, therefore the only way in which we can hope to protest ourselves from the danger to our way of life which it represents, is by the ability to use an even greater force. Unfortunately, under present conditions, this may well be true, but it is a sad commentary upon the state of development of our social and spiritual sciences, when we are forced to admit that we have no adequate means by which we can cope with brute force except to meet it with brute force.

In our frantic search for more and more powerful weapons, we have almost entirely overlooked the most potent of all, and the only one which we can use to its fullest extent without destroying ourselves in the process.

Some of the historians who have chronicled the lives and careers of great conquerors, have marveled at the fact that none of then ever succeeded in their attempt to subjugate the entire human race. In many cases, as the great warrior went from victory to victory, from conquest to conquest, it had seemed inevitable that he should ultimately succeed in subduing all opposition. Then, at the very pinnacle of success, at the moment when it appeared that no power on earth could stand against him, a pattern of perversity would begin to manifest itself. For the first time, the great strategist would begin to make errors in his military planning, and gross errors of judgement. Men who had been loyal to him for years would begin to draw away, and in some cases, to betray him. His career, from that moment on, would become a succession of failures leading ultimately to degradation and death. This is the typical pattern of the career of all those who have attempted to dominate the peoples of the earth by force, yet the would-be conqueror of today always prefers to ignore the plain lessons of the past. Perhaps he does not realize that this pattern is the result of immutable law. When any man begins a program of unlimited conquest, he begins to invoke against himself, the most powerful weapon in the world, the cumulative force of the human will.

The would-be world conqueror usually begins his career upon the pretext of righting some great wrong, of correcting some injustice in human relationship. For a time he has the approval of the majority of

The Ultimate Weapon

 

the world population, as time goes on however, and as the conflict grows constantly greater while the pretext shrinks into insignificance, the true purpose of the conqueror will become as obvious to his friends as it is to his enemies, and an ever increasing force of human opinion will be directed against the success of his efforts. Anyone who may doubt the efficacy of this force has only to read history to be convinced.

In all wars, the dissemination of propaganda, for the purpose of breeding hate, has been a recognized part of the military strategy, but this has been done principally for the purpose of increasing individual effort rather than through any recognition of the power of thought itself.

In its drive for world domination, the Soviet government has always devoted a very large proportion of its total effort to the moulding of public opinion, especially of those nations which have not yet become involved in the struggle. They have been willing to go to almost any length, short of abandoning their ultimate objective, to maintain in the world, a balance of approval, or at least of acquiescence in their policies. They have almost succeeded in maintaining this balance in spite of the fact that all of the countries that have come under their domination have lost all political self-determination and individual liberty; in spite of the fact that there is little evidence that they have profited in any way by this domination, and in spite of the fact that most of the arguments and promises through which the acquiescence has been obtained, have been proven to be false.

Consider how much more powerful a weapon this force of world opinion, this power of collective will could be in the hands of the free nations who have upon their side the overwhelming preponderance of truth and justice, yet how slowly they are awaking to the realization that the ultimate weapon is the collective force of human will that, when wielded by true understanding, becomes the world's only irresistible force!

(EDITOR'S NOTE) Does this article sound as though it might have been for the political situation today? The fact is that it was written and published by your editor, in the Understanding Magazine, in 1956, some twenty-seven years ago! Today we are still spending ourselves into national bankruptcy building weapons we would never dare to use while ignoring almost completely the weapon which would make all others unnecessary.

(signed) Daniel W. Fry

********************

(hand written) Cleona’s Corner

 

Early today the eagerly awaited call came from another country confirming plans we've worked on for months! Lectures and media appearances equal strong benefit to Understanding, Inc., of which each of you ARE a part. Plus benefit to MANY listening, in 10 days of lectures!

We've long looked forward to this, God was willing, it's just as hoped & timing perfect. Ah-h-h! Fuller details in April newsletter. The May newsletter should be glowing!

All of you who've ever tried enptying a house, (WE'VE 2 to empty!) & really remodel a 2nd house KNOW what we're going through. Unfunny, back breaking, VERY tiring. #2 House lends itself to our needs. This one does NOT. Daniel will have a separate soundproof studio in which to RECORD & WRITE. I'm sure I told you he is writing a book, (Temp. laid aside!) Results of all our hard work should be wonderful.

Till April - I send love to all

(signed) Cleona Q. Fry

(hand-written) (Mrs. Daniel W. Fry)