Antimilitarism

"CRITICISMS OF VIOLENCE" (''ZüR KRITIK DER GEWALT'') (1920)

Following Hegel 's exploration of the relationship between History and violence, antimilistarists argue that there are different types of violence, some of which can be said legitimate and other non-legitimate. Georges Sorel advocated the use of violence as a form of Direct Action , calling it "revolutionary violence", which he opposed to the violence inherent in Class Struggle . Walter Benjamin , in his ''Criticisms on Violence'' (1920) would also establish a difference between "violence that founds the law", "violence that conserves the law", and an additional last type, "divine violence" which breaks the "magic circle" between both types of "state violence" .

War, as violence, can be distinguished into traditional war (between states) and Civil War , in which case class struggle is, according to antimilitarists theorists, a primordial component. Hence, Marx 's influence on antimilitarist doctrine will come upon as no surprise, even though it would be doubtful to make Marx accountable for the whole antimilitarist tradition. However, it would also be unwise to believe in the myth of an eternal antimilitarist spirit, present in all places and time, since modern military institution is a historic achievement, related to the formation, in the 18th and 19th centuries, of nation-states. Prussian Militarism , for example, was reveeled by a huge majority of 19th century social theorists. In their times, sovereignty theorists, such as Rousseau , even thought the creation of the military institution as a form of education for the people, which has been meditated by Foucault 's in his book '' Discipline And Punish '', which led to the creation of the concept of "disciplines", " Disciplinary Institutions " and "disciplinary society".

THOREAU'S PACIFISM

", originally titled "Resistance to Civil Government", can be considered an antimilitarist point of view, even though it would probably be mixed with pacifism (downright moral condemnation of all kinds of violence). However, Thoreau's latent anarchism and general anti-statism permits claims of ascendency from antimilitarists. His refusal to pay taxes was justified as an act of protest against Slavery and against the Mexican-American War . Opponents of war considered as a major evil and as a cause of most of human kind's troubles may indeed be inclined to treat the modern idea of "nation-states" as one of the most dangerous invention, leading to endless Nationalism and bellicism. Hence, antimilitarist argue that any true pacifist must also be at least cautious of the state's claim (this "cold monster" as Nietzsche had dubbed it) to impartial justice and eternal peace.

ANTIMILITARISM AND CAPITALISM: THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX & THE NATION-STATE

Antimilitarism has always been based on a political and social analyze of the state and the concept of sovereignty. Indeed, Capitalism has often been thought by antimilitarist litterature to be a major cause of wars, an influence which has been theorized by Lenin and Rosa Luxembourg under the name of " Imperialism ". Historically, French socialist leader Jean Jaurès failed attempt to convince the masses not to enter World War I was based on an analyze of the coming war as a competition between the different national " Bourgeois " classes, in which the labor movement was duped in participating (making perfect ''"chair-à-canon"''). As a consequence of this abandon of antimilitarist spirit, the Second International dissolved itself during the war.

Hence, US President Eisenhower 's 1961 warning on the influence of the " Military-industrial Complex " came as no surprise to many antimilitarist-minded people. However, it did underline the relationship between industrial power, economics policies, etc. (in other words, "capitalism"), and the making of wars.

ANTIMILITARISTS GROUPS

Until its dissolvement, the Second International, as the First International, was antimilitarist. Jaurès' assassination on July 31 , 1914 , marks antimilitarism's failure in the socialist movement.
The American Union Against Militarism is an example of a US antimilitarist movement born in the midst of the first World War, from which the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) formed from after the war. Some ''Refuseniks'' in Israel, who refuse the draft, and draft resisters in the USA {Link without Title} may be antimilitarist or pacifists, depending on the particular reasons for their opposition to conscription. Many pacifist organizations, such as the War Resisters International and the War Resisters League in the USA, are also antimilitarist.

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Antimilitarism