Economics Education for a Happier Life Experience

I'll be driving down to Monterey this coming Tuesday, my first full week of school and classes, and joining a panel on Economics in the classroom.  I'll be sure to debrief here afterward.  I'm joining an established panel, and will be the only high school teacher there, and at that, not even a real economics teacher.  But isn't that the point?  What will I have prepared? Nothing more than ideas.  As I was putting together an 8th grade history plan looking at Columbus, I am reminded again of the story we tell ourselves.  Our limited human minds cannot but simplify, and when it comes to condensing information we feel is important, we leave out so much that the message barely resembles truth.   What would my takeaway from history be? We have used our military to back our false economic power, and our false economic power to back out military industrial complex.  We have created a virtual monopoly of arms, and wasted countless lives, resources, and hours of creative genius into discovering ways to conquer an enemy that doesn't exist other than to enrich a few.  Who are those who get rich? Where is the money going? The money creators, the loan sharks, and the weapons manufacturers.  What a waste. What is my message then, as a high school teacher? Peace Profits.  We don't actually need to be at war with one another.  This is known, but we need to keep reiterating this message without distraction.  There is no complicating the matter.  The way to peace is profitable for all.  We say this with art, drama, music, and philosophy.  We don't say it with history, because history, like economics, is so biased we don't even see the bias we are immersed in.  Like the fish is unaware of being in water.  Instead, we recite endless facts of conflict, without ever asking the real question: Why? How could it have been avoided?  What creative solutions could have then, or can now, be created to avoid the wasteful war machine? Economics is the most egregious of all, because it rationalizes war on people and planet, by calling these sad facts of life, externalities. External to the goal of the ever increasing GDP.   But earnings aren't increasing, so we can use the same cold hard facts to change the narrative, and show a way toward new measurements: real long-term wealth, peace, and happiness.