Morning Comrades.
Pacifism is not Passivism, especially within the context of our revolution.
This is as much about linguistics as it is reality. If we agree, and I do, that language, the use and understanding thereof, is one of the building blocks of reality and thus power this will hopefully aid in helping to further solidify our stance in regards to war.
Pacifism rarely gets taken seriously due to a widespread cultural bias: ‘everybody knows’ that pacifism is hopelessly naïve and idealistic. Meanwhile, war is accepted as normal, practical and realistic. And although pacifists are respected for their moral strength, they are often dismissed by the dominant culture as unrealistic. However, when ‘warism’ – taking war for granted as morally acceptable – becomes recognized to be, like racism and sexism, a prejudice that distorts our better judgment, then we can try to set the bias aside and openly consider varieties of pacifism.
‘Pacifism’ means ‘peaceloving’. It should not be mistaken for ‘passivism’, which means being passive, suffering acceptance, not resisting evil. Because the two words sound alike, people occasionally confuse one for the other. In fact, pacifists rarely are passivists; more often they are activists, working for peace.
Pacifism takes many forms, all of them opposing war and other forms of violence. Beyond this negative position of being anti-war, pacifism involves various positive strategies for making peace. So there are two sides to pacifism: the negative, anti-war, anti-violence side; and the positive, offering peaceful, nonviolent alternatives, side.
This is what today’s second part is all about. Cleary, and I hope this is the case, please do read and understand all of this, especially but also specifically within the context of the genocide Israel and the majority of NATO countries are committing in Gaza. I hope that is clear. Smooches and let’s get into it.
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