Pacifistic Alternatives to War Situations?

[Star Wolf]

So the majority of the people around me say the world will never stop responding to each other through war, and I'm at a loss.

Are there any theoretical alternatives to resolving hostile political conflicts in a non-aggressive, non-violent way?

[Cygnus]

Of course there are, but people are people, and interests are interests, and peace mediators can always get assassinated as they have many times, so basically we will still be waging wars until we wipe ourselves out.

[Star Wolf]

Of course there are, but people are people, and interests are interests, and peace mediators can always get assassinated as they have many times, so basically we will still be waging wars until we wipe ourselves out.

You are right about people, motives are diverse, so world peace is probably not possible.

However, I was asking about the alternatives themselves. What they are. How and when were they successfully practiced.

I should probably do some research.

[Gamma Male]

Wars are manufactured, they don't just happen. Only when the American people wake up and see the politicians and generals for the puppets they are will things get better. Maybe the recent advert in technology and the increasing scientific awareness of humanity will help with this.


The occupy protesters had the right spirit, they just didn't actually accomplish anything substantial.

[britishboy]

I hate pacifists. Today it is mostly trade sanctions anyway.

[The3rdArmy]

Are there any theoretical alternatives to resolving hostile political conflicts in a non-aggressive, non-violent way?

Well if you take over the world and make a peaceful unified world government, there will be peace!

[Capto]

Well if you take over the world and make a peaceful unified world government, there will be peace!

I laughed at combining the words "peaceful", "unified", and "world".

[Sir Suomi]

Well if you take over the world and make a peaceful unified world government, there will be peace!

http://www.unique-design.net/library/image/cartoon/point_of_a_gun.jpg

Couldn't help but think of this when you said that :P

But to answer the OP's question, there are ways to avoid conflict, i.e economic sanctions, travel restrictions, boycotting of goods, etc., but most of these attempts are futile. Violence has been part of our history ever since Bill the Caveman realized he could steal Tim the Caveman's food by hitting Tim over the head with a rock until he blood pressure dropped zero. There will always be conflict in our world to some extent, and all we can do is make sure the damage is contained to a small area.

[The3rdArmy]

Couldn't help but think of this when you said that :P


http://funny-scenes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-griffin-family-guy-funny-screencap-stewie-griffin.jpg
Lol you just made me think of this too

Populate the world with enough of her ^^ and we will be at peace :lol:

[Star Wolf]

Well if you take over the world and make a peaceful unified world government, there will be peace!

Reality isn't Code Geass. xD

But on a more serious note, I don't think the world has to be of one unified world government for there to be peace. A world government would actually be really dangerous if you think about it.

I looked at George S. Patton's comment too, and sanctions, boycotting, and travel restrictions aren't just ways of avoiding conflict, or at least boycotting isn't. I still don't know enough about politics to properly contribute anything, but Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi all showed the power of non-violent protest. Can those tactics apply to countries too?

[Harry Smith]

I hate pacifists. Today it is mostly trade sanctions anyway.

yeah those damn pacifists refuse to die for their country, it's their democratic right to die for there country.

I think JFK had the best view on this issue

'we should never fear to negotiate, and we should never negotiate out of fear'

[Star Wolf]

yeah those damn pacifists refuse to die for their country, it's their democratic right to die for there country.

I think JFK had the best view on this issue

'we should never fear to negotiate, and we should never negotiate out of fear'

It's not the refusal to die for your country, it's the refusal to kill for it... e_e

[britishboy]

yeah those damn pacifists refuse to die for their country, it's their democratic right to die for there country.

I think JFK had the best view on this issue

'we should never fear to negotiate, and we should never negotiate out of fear'

It's not the refusal to fight, it's the refusal to fight and kill another man.

[Harry Smith]

It's not the refusal to die for your country, it's the refusal to kill for it... e_e

It's not the refusal to fight, it's the refusal to fight and kill another man.

I'll rephrase that then although it was intended to be largely sarcastic

[CharlieHorse]

Of course there are better ways to solve differences besides fighting and war, but as long as stubborn, closed minded, selfish people are on this planet, there will always be a war somewhere.
Eliminating religion might help stop some conflicts too.

[Sir Suomi]

It's not the refusal to die for your country, it's the refusal to kill for it... e_e

Well I disagree with this. If there is a a person or an organization deemed by our nation to be a threat to the American people, you can bet that I'll be knocking down their front doors before they can say Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

[britishboy]

Well I disagree with this. If there is a a person or an organization deemed by our nation to be a threat to the American people, you can bet that I'll be knocking down their front doors before they can say Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Love the use of the phonetic alphabet:D

[Vlerchan]

It's not the refusal to die for your country, it's the refusal to kill for it.
I'd personally find it a lot easier to kill for my country than die for it.

Not that my country means enough to even begin seriously considering either.

[britishboy]

I'd personally find it a lot easier to kill for my country than die for it.

Not that my country means enough to even begin seriously considering either.

I thought the Irish was super proud! When you fight for your country, you're also fighting for your friends and family.

[Vlerchan]

I thought the Irish was super proud!
Of what?

When you fight for your country, you're also fighting for your friends and family.
I'd consider fighting for my local community.

And even then I probably wouldn't: fleeing with my friends and family sounds like a more reasonable (read: life-extending) solution to me.

[Harry Smith]

I thought the Irish was super proud! When you fight for your country, you're also fighting for your friends and family.

There's like 101 examples where that is literally not the case, families have and often get split up in wars, and end up fighting on different sides

[britishboy]

Of what?


I'd consider fighting for my local community.

And even then I probably wouldn't: fleeing with my friends and family sounds like a more reasonable (read: life-extending) solution to me.

Of Ireland.

If that's what you want to do that's fine enough, we live on free countries.

[Capto]

I'd consider fighting for my local community.

And even then I probably wouldn't: fleeing with my friends and family sounds like a more reasonable (read: life-extending) solution to me.

I like you, you're reasonable; a rare trait indeed.

[Stronk Serb]

There's like 101 examples where that is literally not the case, families have and often get split up in wars, and end up fighting on different sides

I watched a show on History about a British royal family member (of course I forgot the name, lel) who was married off to Germany before WWI. He had to fight for the Kaiser, but asked to be assigned to the Russian front. People looked at him with disdain when he went to the king's funeral, even though he did not raise a finger against the British.

[Vlerchan]

Of Ireland.
Ireland is a reactionary shithole if we're honest with ourselves: I find little to be proud of in the current status-quo.

[tovaris]

of course there are
its called not shoting echother!

[Forsakenbymyself]

It's not that no alternatives exist. Simply, wars are the best way of coordinating foreign policies with internal ones: destroy the enemy and discredit the dissidents.

[CosmicNoodle]

I hate pacifists. Today it is mostly trade sanctions anyway.

Why do you hate pacifists, thats kind of like saying "I hate him because he doesn't want to hurt me". Seems like king of an odd thing to say is all.