Martial Arists: Is Pacifism ever a Vice?

f*ck pacifism, you pajama striped wearing dancing hippie. No war has even been won through hippie liberala.s.s. pacifism. Im pro-russian btw

Extremism is a vice. Pacifism, vegetarianism, liberalism, conservatism, and all the "-isms" are just convenient labels.

>> The Russians through 1989 or so were Socialist; that's about as far on the liberal side of the political spectrum as you can get, Tovarisch.

Disagree. The political spectrum is a false anaolgy. It is not a spectrum, but a circle like the face of a clock. At the 6 o'clock is moderates. At 12 o'clock is extremism. You can go right or left, but if you go too far you end up at the same place - the home place of franatics. Ask yourself, was there really and difference between the methods and end results of the NAZI's and the Soviets? The NAZI's took the road right. The Soviet the road to the left. But they ended up the same place - killing, murdering, repressing millions of their own fellow countrymen as well as those from other countries.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." ~Edmund Burke

"Time and again those who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet those who are evil seem to prevail far too often. Seldom is it the numbers that determine the outcome, but whether those who claim to be good men are willing to stand up and fight for what they know to be right." ~Wayne Greeson

On the other hand, IMHO, being a martial artist does not necessarily mean that you're supposed to be a champion of justice or something like that. So (again IMHO) being a pacifist can be a vice, but it has little to do with being a martial artist.

EDIT:

Well, I believe that martial skills can be a deciding factor when chosing between pacifism or taking action -- especially when it comes to physical confrontation or seeing others caught in one. But even then, it's still a personal choice based on balancing "doing the right/noble/just thing" with self preservation, socially acceptable behavior, staying on the safe side of the law, etc.

In my life time I have observed the following:

Under the skin of every so called pacifist is the sole of a raging fighter.

Those who won't fight for their Freedom will lose it.

Living under tyranny kills more than fighting for freedom.

The sole of tyranny is a weak and ugly thing that feeds on the blood of its victims.

There are countless examples of this throughout history.

As for individual responsibility to another and society, I believe it is the responsibility of the strong to look after the weak. For example would not stand by and watch someone beat someone who was defenseless, nor would I risk my life with out good reason. A difficult feeling to describe. It would be something to determine at the time and I hope I would do something I could live with.

Hmmm... tough to follow up on this one. I will go back to the well on Nazi Germany and say that those Germans who allowed the concentration camps to happens without doing something about it could be the exception I'm looking for.

So a German living near Auschwitz claiming they don't want to get involved because they are a pacifist, I'd make the stretch to calling that a vice. It is more truly apathy or self preservation than a vice though.

I'll see if I can't come up with a better one...

If someone calls you names on the street, then pacifism is a virtue. If a woman is being raped in a dark alley then pacifism is a vice.

Martial Arts are the antithesis of Pacifism.

If one does not act in the manner of their training; self-defense and life-protection, they are not employing the martial arts.

If one resists using violence under all circumstances, then his training is incomplete.

Pacifism is a vice if one never knows when to fight.

One simply needs to steel themselves against aggression and fear of action. Pacifism must be actively decided upon, to lean on one's idealism for justification of inaction is a vice in that it is ignoring the plights of others.

No! It is a choice not to be taken likely. You will find many people who are passive dwell underground and at hospitals.

A passive person can also be an assertive individual.

Yes -when it serves that end as any concept may be used towards any end.

To way to do is to be-Lao Tzu

Yes. There's a point where pacifism facilitates violence which isn't much different from committing the act yourself.

Yes. When someone innocent or a loved one is threatened and you can do something about it.