Pacifists believe that violence is not the only way to solve problems. Pacifists believe that violence is not the optimal way to solve problems. I'm sure most people, pacifist or not, would agree that violence is indeed neither the only way nor the best way to solve anything. The kicker is that pacifists will actively pursue nonviolent resolutions even in dire situations.
But when confronted with an objectively non-negotiable situation in which violence is to be used against the pacifist, the mere delays while the pacifist tries to accept the fact that he must fight or die will cost lives and treasurer. It is the inability to recognize when the jig is up in a timely fashion that gets everyone into hot water.
I know of very few ewho actuually look to violence as a first resort, either. But those who advocate pacifism often have no realistic and workable solution to a problem when there are people opposi9ng them that would like to kill them.
The other side of the coin is to decide if there are any values so impiortant that it is a good choice to defend them, even at the risk of personal harm or death to the pacifist or the country.
John Kerry is a great example...he claims that there would be no war in the mid-east if he were president, but I have never heard him encourage anyone in power to adopt the pacifist plan that he would have used to accomplish this miraculous feat.
He either has not plan, or he is hiding it to use it for his own political gain if he assumes power. I would hate to tyhink that is the case, and prefer to assume he has no plan at all.
In effect, he is claiming what you are claiming about pacifism...that there are other ways to solve the probvlem without a resort to violence. What is the way, Johnny boy? Save some lives and tell us, and do so quickly.
"I'm sure most people, pacifist or not, would agree that violence is indeed neither the only way nor the best way to solve anything."
BS, a lot of people disagree with you. Violence is a very good and expedient way to solve some problems, save lives, time and money right away.
If Hitler had been shot in the head for about 15 cents back in 1939, the world would have been spared a lot of lives and misery. Same for Stalin, Mao, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Mugabe, Kim Il Sung, Chavez and a whole lot of Iranian mullahs etc. The list is long.
Nothing like shooting the right son of a bitch in the head at the right time to save a lot of lives.
Let's kill a large portion of the Islamofascists right now and save a lot of time, money and misery or would you rather wait till they nuke NYC?
Sorry, but violence works and if done the right way it's cost effective and moral.
And, they will be glad to let other people's sons go in harms way to protect their right to have a croissant and latte with the NYT on Sunday morning. Other people and their sons who the pacifists don't know, and that the pacifists look down upon with contempt. Other people's sons whose blood drips off the pacifists fingers as much as it does off those of the terrorist filth because the pacifist (or Kerry/Dean faux pacifist) gave aid and encouragement to the terrorist filth by their limp wristed behavior.
Correction:
Pacifists believe that violence is NEVER a way to solve problems.