Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Fight War With Peace

For every fierce military action there may be a peaceful action that leads to the same end.

The peaceful road may take a little longer, and so it is disdained, but it reaches its destination more surely and securely.

Bombers can drop bombs or toys. Which is more effective?

Suppose that for every 1000-pound bomb we also drop a thousand pounds of graffiti materials: spray cans of paint and marking pens. Which will have a more desirable effect?

Dropping spray cans, we give freedom. Freedom to tell the truth as someone sees it. Freedom to tell the powers that be that the scope of their control is limited. Freedom to tell other citizens that they are not alone. Freedom to communicate.

Of course, they will first spray-paint "Yankee Go Home". Try an accepted slogan first. As courage develops, less safe slogans, comments about the local power people, will appear. Citizens will focus on the character and quality of their own government.

We should maybe drop walkie-talkies, the cheap $40 kind. They don't need cellphone towers, can run on rechargeable batteries, and can connect neighbors so that an attack by night of the secret police on one home is an attack on all the neighbors. Hey Rube! Grab a pitchfork!

What do we want to build?

Would it be more effective if we omitted the bomb?

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