I love the idea of non-violence, of Ghandi’s ahimsa, as an ideal.
I wish it were universally viable.
I think the reason it was effective against the British, philosophically speaking, is that the Brits’ objective was control; their willingness to use force and violence was a tool to enforce that. When the Indians stood up against that, allowing themselves to be hit, it forced the soldiers to see their humanity, to confront what they themselves were doing and the terrible things they’d have to do to pursue that objective.
The reason why it’s not effective against fascists, is that fascists are fundamentally unable to recognise the humanity in others, see any ‘weakness’ as further evidence of their own superiority, and would genuinely enjoy nothing more than to inflict violence upon someone helpless.
