V for Vanquished
Press Action
Monday, February 11, 2008
http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/peace02112008/
Peter Gelderloos writes:
Instead of raising a fist, pacifists raise their index and middle fingers to form a V. That V stands for victory and is the symbol of patriots exulting in the peace that follows a triumphant war. In the final analysis, the peace that pacifists defend is that of the vanquishing army, the unopposed state that has conquered all resistance and monopolized violence to such an extent that violence need no longer be visible. It is a Pax Americana.
from How Nonviolence Protects the State, South End Press, 2007, p. 63.