Much of the rhetoric used by world leaders is one of violence, based on destructive myths and images, which increases the probability of war. Such leaders attempt to persuade the public that militarism, threats, and sociopolitical superiority are effective strategies for peace, when in fact they maximize cultural and political differences. The…

United States President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev have strongly emphasized in several speeches that their ultimate goal is peace between their respective nations. However, this apparent shared goal has not come about, largely because they lack a common understanding of the meaning of peace. Both have stated that they wish…