Originally posted by: ricarleiteFirst, it's a silly and completely stupid scenario with no pratical reasons. OK let's just proceed with this Monty Python sketch of a hypothetical situation, and asume we have a world in which we have 4 billion Gandhis - and I don't mean 4 billion people looking like a thin Ben Kingsley in underpants, I mean 4 billion people who wouldn't resort to violence. Then we have a Hitler being born, and by Hitler I mean someone who thins differently and see force as an ally. Then, answer me, why would he think differently? Mutation? Not being educated by the Gandhis surrounding him? What would he gain by resorting to violence? Power to do WHAT? To rule WHO? To rule WHAT? Who would follow him? Obey him? And no, he wouldn't have access to cloning devices, time machines, or flying killing robots.
In my scenario, I wasn't worried about how Hitler came to be Hitler, he just came to be that way. It is possible for that to happned even with 4 billion Gandis in the world. Remember some people argue you are born the person you are and environment has nothing to do with it. As far as what he would gain from using violence? He would gain control of the world. You right, he couldn't clone himself. So what if the world consisted of only Hitler, 10,000 SS officers, and 4 Billion Gandis. Now what?
Now you propose a better scenario for discussion, although still a bit too drastic. My point of view is only valid when I stress out that not letting these 10001 murders to get into their murdering minds is the way. I mean, think about it. Would you be one of the SS officers? Or Hitler? I know you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't do any harm to anyone. So why can't we all think alike? Besides, my point is, when you resort to violence, you are always wrong. What if the Gandhis got pissed and started to kill the SS officers? They have families who would see this and say "Hey, the Gandhis are evil!", don't you agree? And which side is "correct", on the actually sense of the word "correct"? If a bottle of coke falls from the sky and two tribes start to fight and make a war to get hold of it, which one is correct? Both are wrong, right? As violence is not the way. So what makes the bottle of coke or a pseudo-world domination to be different? You might say that world domination leads to people losing their freedom, but I am not discussion the ends, but the means to it.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: ricarleiteI didn't answer your question because I am not talking about MYSELF. I am talking about the whole world here. If I only thought about myself, then I would agree that violence is great. Screw the rest of the world, I earn enough to buy guns, who cares if they are at peace or not? Who cares about all the rest of the world? In such a situation, would I kill myself to protect the other? Hell no! BUT I try to think of others, and considering the well-care of the rest of the world, my life is insignificant. I would die or lose my freedom if that meant what I dream for coming true.
Well, if you refuse to answer my questions, then there no point to continueing this debate. When I asked my question, I wasn't trying to refer to senarios where your not fighting could free others. I was thinking about situations where fighting and killing would be the only way to obtain freedom for yourself and for others. Of course I would agree if dying and or giving up freedom would free others and save lives, then thats what I would do. But what if that is not the case? What if other peoples lives and their freedoms, and rights depended on you fighting for them?
I don't refuse to answer any questions. I just thought you did not correctly undertood what I was talking about and was posing a question on something outside my point. But anyway, let's see if I understand what you are asking me... You ask, what if people's life and freedom depended on my fighting. The answer would be NO. I would not, as it would bring to someone else something I don't desire do inflict. I do not wish to kill anyone (unless that person requested me to perform an euthanasia, on certain conditions). I would go on and fight to make it stop on other ways. Let's give a face to your question and assemble a scenario on it, let's say it's a war between my country and some other country. I would try to 1- assist the injured, 2- speak with my leaders to see if we can avoid this situation, 3- see if there is a way to get in touch with the other side and propose the same. I have no idea why would anyone invade my country, let's asume Brazil had a lot of gold and there was no gold anywhere else. I would propose selling it. I would propose using silver instead. Or using some other material. I would do my best not to let the situation get into a war, and if it got it that way, do my best to make it stop.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: ricarleiteWhy not? Just because you are suggesting someone will always resort to tyrany? Then what is the porpouse of locking Saddam out, or killing him? He will be replaced by others. Reminds me of a quote from "Munich",
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!*** in which Eric Bana's character says "All the people I've killed were replaced by worse people, what was the reason?", and Geoffrey Rush's character replies to something like "My nails will keep growing, why cutting then?", only that the nails won't hurt anyone, but the bad people will. So WHY keep doing it if it's impossible to win anyway? Just so we can keep the nails "not too long"?
yep. that why. If we don't fight the Hitlers, The Stalins, The Sadams, the Nazis, The KKK, they will grow too long and powerful and take over the world. I am not willing to let that happen. Are you?
I don't want any nails to grow in the first place.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: Gaffer TapeEDIT: And I hope, ric, that your above "I will" isn't serious.
I do too.
I am.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: Darth Chaltab
[quote]So WHY keep doing it if it's impossible to win anyway? Just so we can keep the nails "not too long"?[/quote]
YES! If we cut the 'nails' before they can get 'too long' we save the world MORE violence and grief.
Ric, listen to yourself. How can you possibly, logically believe your own arguments. You can't possibly think pure, blind pacificsm would work against people who HATE YOU, and WANT YOU BEHEADED, and want to see the streets of our cities run with the blood of our children, who DESPISE freedom in any form...
My brain cannot understand how you can possibly even begin to believe that pacifism will work against such a foe. You're acting like a mindless brainwashed idiot, Ric. You're supposed to be smarter than that!
I don't know that I'd put it the way Chaltab did, but I too wonder how one can possibly think that total and absolute pasifism will work against people who are willing to shoot unarmed nonviolent people to obtain what they want.
Well I guess I am insane, then. Peace is truly uthopic.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: ricarleiteChaltab, I'll take your comments as a constructive critic and as a complement. I do have a radical and small-voiced point of view, but those are not based really on 100% logic, but in my principles and ethics. If everyone had a small amount of this sort of principles, as we all do (no one here is a criminal or a murder), and having it this way is indeed possible (maybe only theorically), then why should I give up? I know you guys don't agree with me, I know I'm alone here, but these are my principles, this is how I have conducted my life, or at least tried to. I'm no Gandhi, I might be wrong and hypocritical and babbling something that is not correct, but still I'm following what I feel is right. You guys are doing the same,a dn i understand that! I totally understand your point of view, I just think there is another way!
I understand and respect the fact that you have a different view. You have every right to your opinion. I just don't understand it. But please understand that I'd rather have 10 billion Gandis on the earth, than 1 Hitler.
So do I.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: ricarleiteAnd let me get this straight. Jagdlieter, please do avoid trolling as you've been doing so far. Trolls usually (and thankfully) have a short life-span on this forum. Please don't be next, and if you feel such an urge to call attention to yourself, I recommend you to find other ways. I don't disagree or disaprove your needs, I just think it isn't fair to ruin a good, clean and moderated debate forum just because of that. OK?
I believe he did apologize to you.
We'll see how that comes along over the following days...
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: Gaffer TapeWell, I'm not quite fighting against you here, ric. I agree that pacifism is by far the best way to deal with things. However, in a real world situation, it doesn't always work, so I condone violence only as a last resort, because, at some point, it's the only thing people will listen to. And it's sad, but it appears to be true. But in terms of theory, I agree with what you're saying.
Again, I agree with Gaffer here.
I know.
Originally posted by: WarblerOriginally posted by: ricarleiteAnd by the way, while the whole point has been to resort to violence to defend yourself from an outside violence, what I am asking is for neither violence to take place. Why? Because, that outside violence is always a response to another kind of violence, be it directly or indirectly. Someone atacks you because you have either atacked someone first, or someone else has done it. Violence does not come out of nowhere. And if we stop this circle of perpetuating, by stopping BOTH sides, we'll then achieve peace.
You can ask for neither violence to take place, but it is not going to happen. Not everyone would listen to you. If the side that wants to defend itself decides not to defend itself and instead lays down its arms, the side that is attacking wins.
I for one do not believe that every act violence is a response to another act violence. Somtimes the first act of violence comes out greed, insanity, selfishness, religous fanaticism, or simply not caring.