Is the libertarian concept of Zero Aggression pacifist?

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Zero Aggression permits defensive force.
Zero Aggression sounds pacifist. It isn’t. The Zero Aggression Principle only prohibits the initiation of force. Pacifism rejects both initiated force, and self-defense. Any idea that permits defensive force is automatically not pacifist.
Zero Aggression doesn’t even require zero assertiveness. You can compete hard in sports or business — just don’t attack people, or ask politicians to do that for you.
This means pacifists can still be libertarians; they simply can’t impose their dislike of defensive force on others. Of course, imposing anything on anyone would contradict the whole idea of pacifism, so there’s no concern there. In short…

Pacifists must be libertarians, to avoid contradiction, but libertarianism itself is not pacifist. To avoid confusion distinguish between initiated force and defensive force.

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By Jim Babka & Perry Willis

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