Steven Shafarman, president of the Citizen Policies Institute, offers a bold idea for the rebuilding of Iraq. Indeed, this approach would be beneficial for the economy of any nation.

It may seem that the ancient and widely-shared dream of world peace is farther away than ever. Here are some thoughts about a basic income for poor people in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian territory. About what that could mean for all of us and how we might achieve it.

With so much talk about terrorism and security, there has been almost no attention to ordinary people and our everyday lives. We would all be more secure—truly, and in many ways—with Citizen Policies.

The 1996 law that reformed welfare has many critics, despite being generally proclaimed a success. It expires September 30th and has to be reauthorized or revised. So this is a good time to reexamine some basic assumptions.

The best way to end hunger and homelessness, we're often told, is to provide jobs, increase workers' wages, and pursue economic growth. Such approaches are problematic, however, and inadequate. A much simpler and more effective way to "promote the general welfare" is with Citizen Policies.

Citizen Policies appeal to people from across the political spectrum. This is the truly conservative option, the one that will best enable us to conserve individual freedoms, small businesses, local communities, and our environment. It is also liberal, in the best sense of the term, enhancing justice and equality for all.

James Tobin, a Nobel laureate economist who was on the council of economic advisors under President Kennedy, called for a guaranteed income in the 1960s. Another advocate at the time was Milton Friedman, also a Nobel laureate, but a prominent conservative. Dr. Tobin reaffirmed his support in 2001.