I had this great idea for an article, but I can't find my old thesis paper. Damn my chaotic archiving methods!

September 25, 2001

I took a Modern European Warfare class back in college to get a better understanding of the politics and nuances of war. And I wrote a thesis on pacifism.

It was a difficult subject, not only because history didn't agree with me in some ways, but because I was writing on a subject that opposed everything that we learned in the class. I really didn't do it to be a rabble-rouser. I wrote it because I have a habit of doing things the hard way.

Looking back, I was very interested in the subject. Is pacifism viable? Is it really just hippies, rebellion, and idealism? Has pacifism ever worked?

The answer for all of these questions was kinda, but not really.

...

A couple of years ago, I got into an online argument with someone about the subject of pacifism. I mentioned that it worked only because there were other pressures, usually political or economic.

The guy ripped me a new one. He sent me emails decrying this and decrying that. Telling me that it was to be better dead than to be violent. That I had missed the point of pacifism. That violence begets violence. I quit online chatting because I was pissed off. I didn't disagree with him, he just disagreed with me.

...

Is it a contradiction that I'm taking a self-defense course? I realized during the class that being ready and aware for violence is not the same as contributing to it. In fact, it's the opposite. If you understand the sources, the causes, and the effects of violence, perhaps you can better control it. Or better yet, you don't fear violence, you give it the respect it deserves.

'Cause you can't ever take it lightly.