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Peaceful protest is much more effective than violence
Washington Post Political scientist Erica Chenoweth used to believe, as many do, that violence is the most reliable way to get rid of a dictator. History is filled, after all, with coups, rebellions and civil wars. She didn’t take public protests or other forms of peaceful resistance very seriously; how could they possible upend a…
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Empathy
This article on the psychology of hate in Salon illustrates the power of identification: Interviews with U.S. soldiers in World War II found that only 15 to 20 percent were able to discharge their weapons at the enemy in close firefights. Even when they did shoot, soldiers found it hard to hit their human targets.…
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Two Kinds of Peace
When people talk of peace, they have one of two things in mind: inner peace or social peace. Which comes first? Which is more important? If everyone had inner peace, the idea of war would be unthinkable. Yet peace in the world would not guarantee inner peace for all. So inner peace wins out, and…
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Why World Peace is Possible: Identification
When men fight (and it’s always men), they align according to tribe, religion or nation. Our natural fear of the unknown has been exploited by those who benefit from war to portray the enemy as different, threatening and scary, and by so doing, create support for war. The old media of books, film and television…