The State Department is or should be our Department of Peace

Ronan Farrow and Stephen Colbert talk about the idea that the US State Department is or should be our Department of Peace, if it were only used as such.

However, the State Department's mission is stated as:

"The U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity."

Meanwhile, the proposed Department of Peace legislation begins with this sentence:

"This bill establishes a Department of Peacebuilding in the executive branch, dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace."

It is not the business of the State Department to study or promote domestic peace. Given that a significant and growning percentage of the American population believes that another civil war is likely (31% in 2018 and 40% in 2020), it makes sense to get clear on what the proposal is and what it is not, and whether it would be helpful to the mental health and well-being of the American population. (Spoiler alert: it would.)