Militarism is war-mongering or the advocacy of war or actual carrying out of war or its preparations.

While true pacifists condemn all violence as equally repugnant, we Maoists do not consider self-defense or the violence of oppressed nations against imperialism to be militarism. Militarism is a philosophy of aggression which we believe to be caused mostly by imperialism at this time. Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism--seen in countries like the United $tates, England and France.

Karl Liebknecht in Germany wrote a book against militarism concerning World War I.

Under capitalism, capitalists often profit from war or its preparations. Yet, we believe the proletariat has no self-interest in letting people advocate war for their own profit. The proletariat wants a system in which people do not have self-interest on the side of war- profiteering or war for imperialism. Militarism is one of the most important reasons to overthrow capitalism.

It is important not to let capitalists risk our lives in their ideas about war and peace. They have already had two world wars admitted by themselves this century.

Even a one percent annual chance of nuclear war destruction caused by capitalist aggressiveness or "greed" as the people call it should not be tolerated by the proletariat. After playing Russian Roulette (in which the bullet chamber is different each time and not related at all to the one that came up in previous spins) with 100 chambers and one bullet, the chance of survival is only 60.5% after 50 turns. In other words, a seemingly smal l one percent annual chance of world war means eventual doom. After 100 years or turns of Russian Roulette, the chances of survival are only 36.6%. After 200 years, survival has only a 13.4% chance.