WHAT DOES ANTI-MILTARISM MEAN?
A society is militaristic when it places the maintenance of it's government above all other priorities; spending millions and billions on weaponry rather than social services. A militaristic society is very forceful in it's dealings; the children of that land are forced to do many things which they don't understand or agree with.
Aggression and violence are the norm where respect, understanding and community slowly wither away.
Essentially we are militaristic when life is itself a war and living creatures are constantly threatened.
America is a militaristic society. We have spent $14 trillion in the past 50 years on arms, all of it supposedly to protect against the evilness of Socialism.
Now we face the problems at home, which "our" government has neglected to take interest in:
-33% of american women will be sexually assaulted in their lives
-America imprisons black people at a rate four times greater than apartheid south Africa
-Gay and lesbian people are still illegal under most states law, and homosexual people regularly face extremely violent attacks from bigots
-The divorce rate stands at 50% -prison building is the fastest growing industry in america
-Oppressed people from nations such as Mexico are encountering military and xenophobic (fear of foreigners) resistance to their attempts to flee US big business, starvation and poverty
-The First Nations of this land have yet to receive retribution for their people's genocide. Instead they have nuclear power plants, sewage dumpings and continued theft of their territory and continued denials of now ancient treaty agreements with the US government.
-The streets of american cities are growing quite used to homeless people and the government is getting quite used to doing nothing with the thousands of abandoned buildings in these cities
-Child to child murder is an increasingly normal phenomenon -schools are heavily guarded by armed men and women sent to deter violence
-7 billion non-human animals are slaughtered every year for food, in america alone
-Poorly planned, profit minded industrial decisions have brought upon the extinction of more species of animals in 20 years than the past 20 million years of life on earth
-Forests, including crucial rain-forest is rapidly fading into our collective memory, creating a future that lacks drinkable water, breathable air and fertile soil
Thus, there are lots and lots of reasons to oppose militarism. For the practical minded, it is easy enough to show that militarizing society is vastly counterproductive. While making killing more efficient, life is dragged down considerably. Economically we see the sheer stupidity of a militaristic society.
Who can possibly feel secure about a national system of "governance" that spends billions on enough nuclear power to destroy the world numerous times? Still, we've neglected the fundamental motivation for most people who oppose militarism: killing is ethically wrong.
This brings us to pacifism. Pacifists view all forms of violence as immoral. Never will a pacifist use violence to solve a conflict. Never will a pacifist incite violent people, such as the police by speaking aggressively to them (i.e. calling them "pigs"). Pacifists who follow Gandhi or Jesus, refuse to make enemies; they fight only with love.
When Gandhi was alive, India was miserably oppressed by the British empire. Gandhi sought to free his nation, but he taught that it could only be done by converting the "opponent" through example. He always spoke kindly with the British leaders and told them quite openly what he would do in resistance to them.
Now the state (or government, whichever term you prefer) will tell you that it opposes killing, but like most things they say, it's a load of nonsense.
The state is both violent and the cause of violence.
Government is violent because it thrives off the brute force of armies and police forces to keep the masses "in line."
Government causes violence because it guarantees that power exists, that no one lives equally.
This, in itself is violence.
For example, poverty is violent but no one person is necessarily the criminal that kills the poor. Poverty is violence because it forces people to live under conditions of cruelty. They are denied fundamental necessities of life, such as food, clothing and shelter, while a small percentage of people (assume white men) own far beyond what is needed to survive (specifically: 1% of America owns half the wealth).
The same goes for colonialism (slavery and it's after-math), patriarchy (women's oppression) and ageism (youth oppression, disrespect for elders). The cause of all of these crimes is the system of classes, not a person.
To respond to a system of violence by attacking the system, and seeking to totally do away with it, is anarchism.
All anarchists are conscientious objectors. A conscientious objector is someone who refuses to act in accordance with someone else's ideals because their morality will be compromised or negated if they comply.
Usually the term refers to those who despise killing and will not fight in wars. This is true of anarchists.
However, anarchists object to very many things; and though their reasoning may seem unconnected or complex, it is all rooted in one fundamental idea. This idea is the very definition of the word anarchy: no hierarchy. Whenever there is a hierarchy, or a difference in power among peoples, force will be used. This force is usually explained away as biologically or socially necessary, but a rational look at society shows that this is mostly nonsense.
Because anarchists understand that hierarchy will not be destroyed simply by living their own lives, they object to any use of authority; not just authority that effects themselves. Thus we see the various struggles which most anarchists forward, (regardless of gender, race or age): Feminism, Veganism, Anti-Racism, Pro-gay, Environmentalism, Youth Liberation, Indigenous restoration, and, as stated above, anti-militarism.
Many anarchists are pacifists. This ideology (anarcho-pacifism) can be most clearly explained by looking at the ultimate goal of anarchism: no coercion. What is more coercive than causing physical harm to another living creature? Obviously nothing.
As social revolutionaries, anarcho-pacifists assert their commitment to non-violence by seeking to overthrow the government without the use of violence. Morally this is the most consistent path in that it makes the ends (equality and peace) equal to the means (pacifist revolution).
Historically, all revolutions won through violence have set up violent, dictatorial governments.
But then, not all anarchists are pacifists.
Those who are not do so because they believe pacifism is impractical. Historically, no government has been overthrown through non-violent means.
The Spanish civil war was fought mostly by anarchists (and some communists, but followers of Stalin refused to help the anarchists and actually sought to stop them from succeeding). The anarchists did a lot to collectivize industry and agriculture (meaning everyone who lived on a farm or worked in a factory had equal control of that farm or factory. This is known as *direct* democracy) but they also literally fought a war against the fascists.
Anarchists that are proponents of violent revolution claim that Marxist revolutions set up brutal regimes because the ideology of Marxism is statist, not because a war was fought against the old ruling class.
These anarchists feel that the government is far too strong to ever concede willingly to anarchist revolution. They argue "the state will use violence, so what will we do to defend ourselves?"
Regardless of a person's outlook on how revolution should be won, the case against revolution is very dim.
Mostly people oppose fundamental change in society out of selfish fear that their lives will be jeopardized by engaging in revolutionary struggle.
This is why all revolutionists are compassionate by nature; they put the freedom of all creatures above the suffering they may endure. No matter what you do in life, you will suffer somewhat and you will have different struggles.
Why not struggle and suffer for a better world?
Well, this is the question you must answer for yourself.