Non-violence Resistance: Does It Apply in Today Politics

Principles of Non-violence and their applicability

1. According to Martin Luther king, Non-violent resistance is not a method for cowards. It does resist. The nonviolent resister is just as strongly opposed to the evil against which he protests, as is the person who uses violence. His method is passive or non-aggressive in the sense that he is not physically aggressive toward his opponent, but his mind and emotions are always active, constantly seeking to persuade the opponent that he is mistaken. This method is passive physically but strongly active spiritually; it is non-aggressive physically but dynamically aggressive spiritually.  Using this principle, if people use their mind and not physicality, it can go either way. The most valuable reward for this action is not only saving life but also does not have terrible impact on development of the country.  The problem that makes people shun such methods is because they want results in less time. This usually takes time to get what one needs especially where a leader is ignorant. Dictators in most cases can easily deal with this by ignoring and using their pawns to oust resistance. Therefore, people may not be able to get what they really want.
2. Nonviolent resistance does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The nonviolent resister must often express his protest through noncooperation or boycotts, but he realizes that noncooperation and boycotts are not ends themselves; they are merely means to awaken a sense of moral shame in the opponent. Politics today have become a game of survival where humiliating the opponent is one of the gains of an uprising. Politicians themselves use words and acts that humiliate the opponent and as a result, the one in power will not be willing to give up power in fear of being prosecuted and humiliated. This principle only works if the opponents spurn from using threatening words and acts in defeating their rivalries. Today leaders own the military and in any case, where protests arise they are prepared to unleash their weapons to stop the opposition. As a result, people resort to violence as it will bring conscience of seriousness on the side of the rivalries and it will be impossible for one to continue exterminate his fellow men for his own sake. However, such acts of violence only lead to mass deaths. Politics today is all about defeating and humiliating and as such, this method may not be effective. Examples can be derived from Libya and Egypt.
3. The attack is directed against forces of evil rather than against persons who are caught in those forces. It is a struggle between justice and injustice, between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. This may be difficult to put in practice. Forces of darkness referred are only existent with the existence of a tangible group of people.  Justice and injustice exist because of certain people. These same people are afraid to relinquish their power. Therefore, at the end, violence will be inevitable and it will be the only way out. In most cases, when violence erupts, it will be because the person who is in power would have refused to give up and protesters will resort to violence as the only way out. It is hard to persuade someone who is greedy and selfish to give up his power with out the use of force.
4. Nonviolent resistance avoids not only external physical violence, but also internal violence of spirit. At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love. This may appear as a fallacy. The last leader who managed to uphold these principles is Nelson Mandela. Bloodshed is now the order of the day. The problem with acts of non-violent protesting is that despite the absence of violence, leaders feel threatened in their positions and will use force to silence protests. It is when such force against non-violent protesters is used when people will resort to violence.
5. Nonviolence is based on the conviction that the universe is on the side of justice. It is the deep faith in the future that allows a nonviolent resister to accept suffering without retaliation. The nonviolent resister knows that in his struggle for justice, he has a cosmic companionship. In any case, people use violence and sacrifice their life for the good of the future. People accept suffering while committing violence. It is only when people have the same belief that they will realize that suffering without retaliation is more beneficial.

In my own opinion, I believe that non-violent way of resistance is the best way to go. However, with the increasing number of hard-headed leaders in Africa and developing countries it is only violence that they will listen. People now believe that violence will solve their problems despite massive resistance towards them. People are prepared to sacrifice their life for a rightful cause of freedom. People have learnt from other countries that the only way to go is to oust leaders violently. All the revolutions that are taking place started peacefully but later changed shape.

If only leaders could accept that, their time to rule is over, is when we will witness a more peaceful environment in the world. One of the major blinds that is being suffered is that even the ones that will be sworn in after fighting the revolution with the people are likely to be ousted the same way, violently. People have discovered that there is a chance of enriching themselves in the position of presidents and they will try to fight to the end using the innocent at the forefront. After the revolution is over, people may only enjoy the first term of office of their newly sworn in Leader. What is surprising is that politicians a deficient in telling the truth. They lie to get what they want. They will finally neglect the people who put the in power.

As long as Greed and selfishness exist, there will be no peace in this world. One way or the other, a revolution inspired by someone who wants to join the looting club will surface.  It is not always that a person who has stayed in power for 25 years or more has done anything wrong. The surfacing of one group plotting to gain prominence and wealth will influence the thinking of the majority in believing that the person in power is that main cause of their trouble.

Let us remember that everyone enjoys peace. We want to leave and learn what is good. Unfortunately, the existence of the devil will always leave people with no choice except fighting and violence. If only people could realize that life is precious, that is when our lives will blossom. Violence does not make always make things right! Why should we slaughter each other?

People have the power to choose what they want but it is not a license to inculcate violence for the cause that will also replace the bad with the bad. People have to enjoy living in peace and from my point of view let us not always believe that violence is the only way out.

Your views can change the world!

By

Lasford Flackson