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116 points wslh | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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amatecha ◴[] No.42162344[source]
The degree of wisdom and truly "evolved" thinking demonstrated in this letter is deeply inspiring. Simultaneously, it conversely seems to support the idea that you can't really reason with fascists because their hunger for power (and destruction) is essentially insatiable and they won't stop because someone spoke some convincing words.
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throwaway10oct ◴[] No.42162476[source]
I respectfully disagree because Gandhi's approach may seem idealistic, but in reality, nature functions on the basis of survival of the fittest.

Nonviolent methods often require the possibility of violence as a backdrop to be effective. Otherwise, they might not yield the desired results.

While Gandhi's philosophy sounds nice in theory, it may not always be the most practical in real-world scenarios.

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tomohelix ◴[] No.42162504[source]
Indeed, if you are pragmatic and want actual, certain results, violence and force are the surefire methods.

That is why the GP put the "evolved" in quotes. It takes something more than the basest human instincts and the animal sides of us to take this approach. Some may consider it naive. I personally think Gandhi was smart enough to deduce this on his own yet still chose the nonviolent approach regardless. That alone shows he was a greater "man" than most, in my opinion.

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1. throw0101b ◴[] No.42165753[source]
> Indeed, if you are pragmatic and want actual, certain results, violence and force are the surefire methods.

The historical record says otherwise:

* https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/02/why-nonviolen...

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeLKfPdP0E4

* https://www.vox.com/podcasts/2020/1/3/21048121/ezra-klein-er...

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2. BoingBoomTschak ◴[] No.42166464[source]
You're using different meaning for the word violence (even easier to see since he said "violence and force").