Pacifism
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A political or religious ideology that stresses peace over violence or war. A central [tenet] of many Eastern religions, and also surprisingly widespread in modern-day Europe.
[Pacifist] ideology assumes that violence is inherently bad and should be avoided, typically without giving serious thought to the causes of and solutions to war and violence (see [Heinlein] quote below). [Pacifism] is also commonly linked with socialism and environmentalism, and was widespread in the US during the 1960s, with hippies for some reason favoring the communist, Soviet-backed North Vietnamese over the US and its involvement. This is also prevalent today with respects to the [War on Terrorism]. As is typical, those adhering to [pacifist] thought do not consider the alternatives to the war, and instead, as is typical, provide baseless or biased rhetoric as to why it is better to die like a dog than fighting on your feet. -
The belief that war and violence are unjustifiable and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means.
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[Pacifism] is the principled rejection of war and the ideology that peace should be achieved without the means of violence. It covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war; to opposition to any organization of society through [governmental] force (anarchist or libertarian [pacifism]); to rejection of the use of physical violence to obtain political, economic or social goals; to the [obliteration] of force except in cases where it is absolutely necessary to advance the cause of peace; to opposition to violence under any circumstance, including defense of self and others.
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