On Taking Nonviolence SeriouslyDaniel Serwer has a post at the Atlantic arguing for the use of nonviolent means in the Syrian conflict:The point is to demonstrate wide participation, mock the authorities, and deprive them of their capacity to generate fear. I understand the urge to dismiss nonviolence in the face of the brutality of the Syrian regime. He is quite clear that it is not enough to simply to use nonviolent means randomly. Carefully planned use of non-violence has much more potential for effectiveness than any willy-nilly application of various means. He frames it in such a way that invites you to consider nonviolence as a serious approach, not a refuge of weakness, and makes a strong case for at least taking it seriously as an option.