NOVEMBER,1946 345 ConscientiousObjection IsBankrupt NAR,"saystheConscientiousObjector,"isun-Christian, IT inhumane,immoral,economicalyandpoliticalydestructive,bringssocialyobjectionableresults,etc. Theremustbenomorewar." Andsosaythevastmajorityoftheworld'speople—and theyhavebeensayingitatleastsincetheexperienceofWorld WarLWhichleavestheC.O.withonlyonedistinction. Whenwarcomesheresolutelyfoldshisarmswhilethemajoritysadlysetabouttoengageinitastheymaybeordered. Neitherresponseisaveryworthyone(thougheithermay benecessaryfortheindividual'sselfrespect)and neithercan preventoccurenceofwar. ItisatthispointthatIassertcon- scientiousobjectionisbankrupt,andtoatempttobuildupon anorganizationofC.O.'soruponthesignificantaspectof conscientiousobjection(therefusaltocooperateinwaging war)istoinvitefailure.Tellingpeoplewariswrongorter- ribleistobetritetoapainfulextreme.Totellthemnotto cooperatein it, istogivethemanimpossiblealternative. (Two-thirdsoftheJewsofEuropewereliquidatedbythe Germangovernment.Contemporaryhistoryshowsthatlit- eralymilionsofnon-cooperatorscanbedoneawaywith ifnecessary.) ItistothecreditofmostmenwhoareC.O.sthatthey realizethatmereresolutefoldingofarmswillneverprevent recurenceofwar.Thesemenhavepositiveprogramstoofer, butinofferingthemtheybreakfreeoftheterm"C.O."and becomesomethingelse:religionists,humanitarians,moralists, socialists,single-taxmen,co-opmen,educators,psychologists, philosophers,etc.Theynolongerhavethecommonagree- mentthatmakestheuseofageneraltermsuchas"CD." meaningful. Whythisbreakingapart;thislackofagreementonapro- gramtopreventtherecurenceofwar?Thedisagreement comesatafundamentalpoint.Assoonasthequestionis asked"Whatisthecauseofwar?"thereisdisagreement. Toadmittherearemanydiversecausesonlymeansthateach manpickswhatheconsidersthemostimportantcauseor causes.Therecannotbeagreementonaprogramwhenthere isnoagreementoncause. Thequestionmustbemet.Letusatemptananswerby asking:"Whatconditions must bepresentinorderforwar tooccur?(Usualywhenthecausesofwararediscussed, peoplediscusswhatconditions are present.)Thereseemsto bethreeprimaryconditionsnecessary, theeliminationofany oneofwhichwouldmakewar (warbeingastruggleimplementedbytheuseofarmedforcesbetweenindependently governedcommunities) impossible. Theyare:1.Peoplemust supportthewareffortoftheircommunity(thatis,atleast "goalong").2.Armedforcesmustbeobtainable.3.There mustbeatleasttwoindependentlygovernedcommunities. (Economicconditions,oftenthoughtabasiccause,area majorirritantbutnota"must"forwar.Warscanoccur thoughtheeconomicsituationbeideal.) 1.Peoplemustsupportthewareffortoftheircommunity. "IfeveryonewereaCD.therewouldbenowar."Thishas BibliotecaGinoBianco bentheideabackofmostpeaceeducationinthepast.The emphassihasbeentoshow:(a) thatwariswhattheC.O. saysitis(seeabove),(b)thatthepeopleontheotherside ofthefencearerealyverymuchlikeusandnotthebeasts theyweremadeouttobe,(e)thatthe"bigboys"(diplo- mats,munitionmakers,capitalists,etc.)startwar;thatthe averagemanhasmuchtoloseandnothingtogainbywar. Theseideaswereprevalentandwidelyacceptedbetweenwars yettheydidnotpreventanotherone.Why?(a)Horribleas waris,itsemstheonlyalternativetopeoplewhohavegoten intoanimpossiblesituation(suchaswhentheGermanarmies areontheborderandreadytostrikeorwhentheJapanese haveblownupthechiefnavalbase.)(b)Oncemaneuvered intoapositionoffighting,itdoesn'tseemsignificantwhat kindofpersontheopponent realy is.Youareonlyconcerned withthebehaviorheexhibitstowardyou,andthatbehavior ishostile.(c)Whenwarcomes,"Whostartedit?"seems secondaryto"Who'lfinishit?"("WhatiftheU.S.governmentdidprovoketheJapstoattack?Nothingtodonowbut se itthrough.")Despitetheirwordsofpeace,thepeople marchedwhentheorderwasgiven.Peaceeducationfailed whenpeopleweresuddenlyconfrontedwiththeimmediacy ofwar.Itwillfailagainwhentheyfindthemselvesinsuch asituation. Butcanweavoidcrisissituationsbygetingpeopletotake aninterestintheirstatedepartmentsandseethatitisrunin agreementwiththeirdesiresforpeace?AretheAmerican peopledoingthattoday?Havetheyeverdoneanythingapproachingit?AretheRussianpeopleinapositiontodomore? Suchhopesandsentimentalityinthepresentworldwilllead usdownaonewaystreettodisaster. 2.Armedforcesmustbeobtainable.Thishasbeenoneof thereasons"disarmament"andoutlawoftheatomic-bomb havebeenproposed."Disarmament"hasbeentriedandit failedtopreventwar.Why?Becauseitwasnotenforceable andnot total.Partial disarmament,if itwereenforceable (whichit isnotunderpresentconditions)mightgreatly diminishtheefectsofwar,butitcannotpreventit.Total disarmamentisimpossible.Aslongasarockoraclubis available,armedforcesareobtainable. 3.Theremustbeatleasttwoindependentlygoverned communities. If allpeopleweresomehowperfectlyadjusted psychologically,orsomehowwereallChrist-like,therewould benowar.Iftherewerenogunsorclubsorrocksavailable, therewouldbenowar(thoughwemightseesomevigorous wrestlingmatches).Butifpeoplearejusttypical1946folk withclubsandatom-bombsattheirdisposal,onlyonething semstoreasonablyguaranteethattherewillbenowar.That isthethingthatkeepsCaliforniaandArizona,Armeniaand Azerbajan,orNormandyandBrittany,atpeacewitheach other;acommonlaw,drawnupbyacommonlegislator,put inefectbyacommonexecutor,andappliedandjudgedby acommoncourt. Romeexperienced200yearswithoutwarbydestroyingall governmentsindependentofherthatwerewithinherreach. Shetrulyruledallherworld.Todayourreachisvastlyex- tendedsothatourworldof1946coverstheentireglobe. Destroyingalloppositiontobringabout PaxAmericana does notseemasfacetiousnowasitdidayearago.Itisapossibility(justasisaPax Russiana), though,sincewearelook- ingforawaythatavoidsfurtherwar,notoneopentous.
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