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From: foy@aero.ARPA (Richard Foy)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The use of nonviolence.
Message-ID: <224@aero.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 21-Jan-86 12:49:01 EST
Article-I.D.: aero.224
Posted: Tue Jan 21 12:49:01 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jan-86 22:34:05 EST
References: <566@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Reply-To: foy@aero.UUCP (Richard Foy)
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Lines: 55

In article <566@decwrl.DEC.COM> mahoney@bach.DEC writes:
>
>civil disobedience as a weakness and as easy targets to kill. How would you
>have stopped Idi Amin and his gang of thugs these are not easy questions. I 
>don't have the answer and am looking for them.  Could you give me your
> insight into this.
> Anyone else feel free to also comment as I am sure you will :-).
>
>I have turned from violence as best I could through my life and continue to
>do so.  I wonder sometimes if it is always the best way.  Until I feel 
>differently I will continue to turn from violence for I see no better
>solution.
>
>Brian Mahoney
>
My thoughts on non violence:

I believe that underneath their social conditioning all peoples are pretty
much alike. Thus I don't think that the Germans of Hitlers time or the
Russians of Stanlins time are fundamentally any different than the English
or British.

Non-violence acts slowly. Martin Luther King was assinated years ago.  His
actions are still bearing fruit, but have not fully eliminated the conditions
he was concerned about. A similiar statement may be made about Gandhi. 

Non-violence often leads to the death or injury of those practicing it. People
like Gandhi and King recognized and accepted this.

Thus non-violence I believe is an approach that requires sacrifices by those
that practice it for the future benefit of all people.

Is it not possible that, if there had been a German in the 30's
with the abilities and dedication of a Gandhi or King, Hitler would  have 
been stopped by his own people. 

Is it not possible that, if FDR had been a proponent of non-violence, 
with his charisma he could have found and implemented a non-violent
approach to stopping Hitler, to eliminating the conflict with Japan in
the 30's with non violence rather than weapons in the 40's.

I think that the more people that practice non-violence in their own lifes
the more chance it has of becoming a world wide mode, and the fewer total
lives will be lost. If one studies the marshall art  Akido one gets a 
better understanding of how this works in practice.


Richard Foy, Redondo Beach, CA
The opinions I have expressed are the result of many years in the school of
hard knocks. Thus they are my own.