Well, I reply the problem with Pacifists isn't that their naive or foolish. They just slickly pass the moral-buck onto the backs of those who would act, and deny any consequence on those who wouldn't act. Why isn't the question directed to the pacifist?If you truly believe that a war is necessary, I ask you to do this before you ask a young man or woman who may have volunteered for our armed forces because it was the only place in our society that offered him or her a chance to get ahead to do the same. If a war is truly necessary and truly just, we should all be prepared to make this sacrifice.Are you prepared to do so?
Are you prepared to do nothing in the face of aggression? Or maybe write a Gandhi like "Dear Friend" letter to the aggressor? Do nothing and let another suffer?
There is no escaping the consequences of not acting just as there is no escaping the consequences of acting.
For some reason Pacifists of the Beall sort can't quite figure out they're in the muck with the rest of humanity. Otherwise they'd ask the question of all.
Update: I'll get back to you Skipper but for starters I've never asked about your past 25 years, nor do I have a clue what it speaks of when you say it speaks for itself. You tell me. This is what I mean by passing the buck. I've worked with O6s all over the world of all sorts. If you're claiming your experience as authority, don't leave it to the blogsphere to speculate.
2 comments:
Captain Beall can respond for himself, but Gandhi's dead so I'll chime in for him, because I can't believe a characterization that suggests that Gandhi's only response to violence was to write a letter to his enemy. He led his people (and it was led, with himself on the front line, not playing parlor general) in taking incredibly brave action against a brutal oppressor. They challenged one of the most powerful armies of the world with only their bodies. Many of them died, as they knew they might, and they won. They most emphatically did not "do nothing." If you'd like to know what the "something" of Gandhian pacifism is, the man himself wrote some excellent books about it.
Problem with Gandhi is he's not seen as a particularly peaceful fellow by both Muslims and Jews. He's seen as a guy who threw there community to the wolves... Gandhi a perfect example of someone seen in Western eyes as a peace maker, and seen as something far different by many Muslims and Jews. I'll get you some quotes Amy. Considering all the conflict at the moment among Muslims and Jews, I really wish we in the west could find some examples other than a Hindu and a Christian (for those fond of quoting MLK). Those guys carry a lot of baggage to people who see the world outside of western eyes.
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