"We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine. What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure that we’ve got a strong international correlation that sends a clear message,” President Obama said.
I am going to offer this as plainly as I am able: The moment you take violence off the table, you have surrendered to every single man and woman on the planet who remains willing to do violence.
That is a declarative. There are no qualifiers.
If you are not willing to do violence, and if your enemy concludes you are not willing to do violence, you will lose any material thing he decides to take from you - until you change your mind.
And I will offer you this insight: Those who have more than a passing familiarity with violence often evolve their sixth sense and will know intuitively when facing an adversary who will not fight.
Ghandi may be the goal, but as a species, we simply are not there yet.
Use this as you will.
Kerodin
III
Korea all over again ?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand. Are you implying the US should get involved militarily in Ukraine? Why?
ReplyDeletePerhaps a re-reading of what Kerodin has stated here is in order. The gist I get is that if you are going to get into a pissing match where you know it will get ugly in fat hurry, you had better be prepared to fight to the death and win, or wimp out as is Obama's forte and lose the whole country. Just my take on the article.
DeleteHe's not saying that at all. He's saying that once Putin (or anyone else, for that matter) knows for sure there will be no violent response, he can roll his troops wherever he wants and only have to plan for economic and political consequences. It also means that anyone looking at Russian or Chinese forces on the other side of their border or stretch of water has to consider how little they might be deterred from military action. Hitler rolled into Poland because he believed that France and England would not respond militarily.
DeleteIt's all about evaluating cost versus rewards. When you lower the perceived potential cost, the rewards look much more enticing.
VJ
I took it to say, "Words don't stop bullets."
DeleteThat, and that anyone who allows pacifism to trump self-defense, has some weird-ass philosophy that probably won't carry to the next generation.
No, I believe he is saying that if you act like a pussy, bullies will walk all over you.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we just take Cuba and call it a draw?
ReplyDelete"Ghandi may be the goal, but as a species, we simply are not there yet."
ReplyDeleteGandhi was "successful" not b/c of his non-violence approach, rather b/c of the English. That is, b/c of civilization, or rather Western Ideals, which include a commitment to constitutional or limited government,
freedom of the individual, religious freedom in a sense that precludes religious tyranny, respect for property rights, faith in free markets, and an openness to rationalism or to the explanation of natural phenomena through reason.
Had Pol Pot, Stalin, Castro, etc. controlled India at that time, Gandhi would not have made a footnote in history.
The OP somehow equates Obama, a man with a heck of a lot of blood on his hands, with Gandhi. Say what?!
DeleteThis responder trivializes nonviolent action. People really should look into subjects before they write about them.
Nonviolent action is a whole raft of actions designed to raise the cost of tyranny. Nonviolent action compliments violent action and should go together with it (despite a lot of suggestions to the contrary). For example virtually all that is going on against the recent tyranny in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York is nonviolent action.
People of the militia mindset should familiarize themselves with nonviolent action (e.g Gene Sharp). People of the nonviolent action mindset should arm themselves. Both sides will become more effective in doing this.
http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/resources/nonviolent/methods.php
Wow, guys - now try to read the column I wrote.
DeleteK
Seriously Anon 1 & 2?
ReplyDeleteGo, now, right now, and enroll in English Comprehension 101. I SAID NOW, dammit...or quit commenting.
Miss Violet
Its all about perception...The greatest thing we had going was the perception that if you messed with us or our friends you wouldn't like the consequences...Now that we have a leader that has done everything in his power to destroy that perception and has projected that we are weak by his actions we are suffering the consequences...
ReplyDeleteHonestly, why is Ukraine, in any sense, a topic here or elsewhere ? Ukraine is absolutely NONE of USA's business. None. Citing obama and Ukraine in the same sentence leads me to believe that the author DOES support USA intervention in this POS country. If not why even bring it up ?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it time you people start concerning yourselves with Red Chinese military visiting our domestic military bases, the trade deficit, no jobs, and a communist in the White House who is NOT natural born ?
Screw Ukraine.
Anon(s): It isn't about Ukraine. It isn't about Gandhi.
DeleteStep back and get a wider view.
K
"Isn't it time you people start concerning yourselves with Red Chinese military visiting our domestic military bases, the trade deficit, no jobs, and a communist in the White House who is NOT natural born ?"
DeleteSpeaking for myself, I try to concern myself--at least on these matters--with who may present as a genuine threat to my life, liberty or property. I try not to be too limiting in that, else maybe it'll be someone I didn't expect.
I judge that it's a little late to be worried about which particular numbskulls are pulling which particular strings. Do you think that's wrong?
the putins in your town, neighborhood, state, etc. are willing to use violence: are you? and if so, can you counter it at least enough to buy that space of precious time to break off the encounter and/or reach a suitable weapon to end his violence..???
ReplyDeletethe wider angle lense covers those who would bear the moniker Patriot across this faltering nation and those willing and prepared to use violence against us....
what is so difficult to grasp about the concept of having a plan, for instance, for when the front door knob of your home is just above the crosshairs of officer safety's ram...?? or for when the line of helmets, shields, boots and truncheons advances on the position you and other Tea Partiers/2A defenders/generally disgruntled are occupying..??''