Reply #40: Ghandi would disagree, but 40 dead monks in Burma might not. [View All]

[Xithras]

Nonviolence only works as a form of protest if your opponent values your life more than he values his position or actions. The British military in India valued human life more than they valued the dominance of the British Empire, so peaceful protest worked. The junta in Burma valued their continued control more than they valued the lives of the peaceful monks, so peaceful protest didn't.

The efficacy of peaceful protest is determined by those you're protesting, not by the protesters. Attempting to peacefully intervene against a madman with a gun who assigns no value to human life (and murderers, by definition, don't), will simply turn you into a victim.