CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

The Challenges and Opportunities of Living in the Inbetween Time

In late October, I published an interview with political scientist, Dr. Benjamin Peters, whose work focuses on peace (full bio at the end). Eight months later, the systematic destruction of our democracy continues unabated. In March, the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg reported that “Democracy in the USA is deteriorating at unprecedented speed.” So, we continue to need experts like Dr. Peters. He graciously agreed to collaborate once again.

AM: In the last interview, you gave us some ideas for personal peacemaking. (link here) Yet many of us are witnessing (either firsthand or by videos) violence, war, and absolute denial of due process rights by ICE agents. How do we remain peaceful in these scenarios?

BP: There are very good reasons – both moral and strategic – to choose peaceful, nonviolent approaches.

Many traditions valorize nonviolence as morally superior to violence. The Sanskrit term ahimsa means “without a desire to kill” (non-injury), and is a core ethical principle in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Ahimsa was a guiding value for Gandhi who considered it the source of nonviolence’s power. As he put it, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

Gandhi had an influence on Martin Luther King, Jr. who confirmed the moral superiority and practical power of nonviolence. Like Gandhi, King believed that ends must be pre-existent in the means. In other words, you must practice the values you are trying to bring into the world. If your goal is a world free of violence, you must bring it into being through nonviolent means.

King’s idea of the Beloved Community provided a regulative norm or a moral guide for action that always centered the commitment to achieving justice nonviolently above the desire to exact revenge or to dehumanize the perpetrators of an evil system. He knew that meeting violence with violence would, at worst, cause an endless cycle of harmful retribution and, at best, prevent the conditions for reconciliation even if violence subsided.

As for the pure practicality of nonviolence, there are two things to consider. First, because the government maintains permanent, organized forces trained to use violence (i.e., the military, the police, ICE, etc.), a violent opposition is always at a disadvantage in terms of resources, training, and experience. Second, there’s compelling evidence that nonviolent opposition movements have been more successful than violent movements. Perhaps the best known statement of that argument is Erica Chenoweth’s TEDTalk on “The Success of Nonviolent Civil Resistance”.

To help us maintain a commitment to nonviolence, we can draw inspiration from the many examples of nonviolent movements that are achieving results right now. I recommend signing up for the newsletters of Waging Nonviolence and Nonviolence News. They report on successful nonviolent actions and often include resources and know-how that can be put into practice whatever your preferred form of organizing, protest, or civic action. Plus, it’s very encouraging to learn about people around the country and around the world who are making change happen every day.

AM: You’ve written extensively about Costa Rica, and my husband and I traveled there in February. It was an item on my bucket list, as I’m fascinated with the abolition of their military in 1948. I was deeply moved by the peaceful lifestyle. We left the resort to drive into the surrounding towns and speak to the locals. My husband is fluent in Spanish, and I can hold my own in easy dialogue. Everywhere we went, the people embraced their “pura vida” lifestyle. Yet, I can’t help worrying about them. While the U.S. is obligated to help in the event of an invasion (Rio Treaty of 1947), I’m not sure it would do so with this current administration. Your thoughts?

BP: Costa Rica is an exemplar of security through peacemaking, and the good news is that the bold and innovative approaches it has taken over the years now make an invasion extremely unlikely.

Twice after it........

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