A Question for Non-Violence
Some conversations with folks who study conflict management reminded me of one of Clausewitz’s analogies:
The question for theories of non-violent conflict resolution is: what plays the role of cash payment? “Using self-sacrifice as a teaching moment” is the best answer I’ve come up with so far.decision by arms : operations :: cash payment : commerce
This differs from Sun Tzu’s theories of winning without fighting or Liddell Hart’s advocacy of reducing violence to the “slenderest means,” of course, because these two men still trusted that combat would be the ultimate means of cast payment. Musashi always had cash. Clausewitz was wary of getting to worried about indirect approaches because he feared it would let strategists get too cute and clever, leading them to forget the fundamental currency of war.
