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From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The use of nonviolence.
Message-ID: <1087@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Jan-86 23:04:48 EST
Article-I.D.: mmintl.1087
Posted: Mon Jan 27 23:04:48 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Feb-86 10:53:02 EST
References: <566@decwrl.DEC.COM> <224@aero.ARPA>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 43

In article <224@aero.ARPA> foy@aero.UUCP (Richard Foy) writes:
>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.

How do you get *underneath* people's social conditioning?  People raised in
different cultures will react differently in the same situations.  This
includes the way they will react to a campaign of non-violence.  If by
"fundamentally the same" you mean that there are no significant genetic
differences between the behavior of humans from varied racial groups, I
am inclined to agree.  If you think the actions and arguments which will
persuade most people from one culture can be counted on to persuade most
people from another culture, then I am afraid you are very naive.

>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. 

Yes.  A man like George S. Patton might have done it, too.

>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.

No, I don't think so; at least not after Hitler had gotten into power.  The
only policy which would have prevented WWII then would have been a clear
readiness to use force to prevent German agression.  (Or a capable assassin.)

>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.

I agree that non-violence is more effective in the modern world than ever
before.  This is because more people than ever before are willing to be
persuaded by non-violent means, not because more are willing to practice it.

Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108