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Violence Is the Only Option (view source)

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** When they appear before the U.S. Congress "to apologize", they wipe out everyone present.
** During a meeting to discuss peace with the French government... yeah, you guessed it.
* ''[[Avatar (Film)|Avatar]]''. All negotiations fail before they even begin, and the only solution is to have a big battle scene (which doesn't even work until [[GaiasGaia's Vengeance]] arrives).
* ''[[Independence Day]]'' and ''[[Rambo]] 4'' both use this as their main point in dealing with a world full of [[Complete Monster|complete monsters]].
 
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== Live Action Television ==
 
* An example of "trick by the villains to lure the heroes into an ambush": The 1970s ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic (TV)|Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'' series. After a thousand year war, the 12 Colonies sent off their entire fleet of Battlestars to a diplomatic meeting with the Cylons, leaving the Colonies completely defenseless. The Council insisted that the fleet not prepare for combat in any way, leaving it defenseless as well. Naturally, the Cylons take advantage of this grotesque stupidity to wipe out both the Colonies and almost all of the Battlestars. It kind of makes you wonder how the Colonies survived the thousand year war.
* Memorably subverted in an episode of ''[[Star Trek Voyager]]'', "Year of Hell". The two-parter starts with Voyager running into a [[Suicidal Overconfidence|suicidally overconfident]] alien ship which demands they turn around without any explanation. Voyager easily destroys the ship, and heads deeper into the territory to figure out what's going on. When the [[Reset Button]] is pressed at the end of the second part, the scenario plays out again- except this time the alien ship greets them pleasantly, warns them that a war is going on, gives them a map of the disputed territory and they leave on amicable terms. Considering how comparatively easy that was, it's a little strange why violence seems to be the first resort for most species in the Delta Quadrant.
* Goes without saying in [[Toku]], but special mention goes to ''[[Kamen Rider Faiz]]'', where any attempts to solve the conflict the protagonists have with each other must happen through a fight. Overlaps with [[Conflict Ball]].
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== Mythology ==
 
* The original legend of [[King Arthur]] and Medred (commonly, ''Mordred'') at the ''[http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_camlann:Battle of camlann|Battle of Camlann]]'' involves Arthur's and Medred's armies poised on the field. At first, it seems that the two leaders will be able to negotiate a peaceful resolution... then an adder spooks a soldier on one side into drawing his sword to kill it; thus causing a chain reaction that leads to everyone on both sides drawing swords, and they end up going to war.
** In the "finalized" ''[[Le Morte Darthur (Literature)|Le Morte Darthur]]'' of Sir Thomas Malory, the justification is that due to the mutual lack of trust, both Arthur and his son, Medred / Mordred<ref>Modred, Medraut, [[I Have Many Names|Merdraut]]...</ref>, had given orders to their army to attack "at the sight of a naked blade."
*** Bear in mind also the symbolic meaning of the serpent to the (almost invariably) Western, Christian reader of the original...
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* The ending change for the 2007 movie ''[[I Am Legend]]'' (based on the reaction of test audiences) demonstrates that people like this trope.
* Neville Chamberlain's determined effort to make "Peace for our time" through diplomatic means. [[World War II|It didn't work,]] although his efforts did at least buy a little time to rearm the British military.
* The case where a man [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stack:Joseph Stack|flew his plane into an IRS building]], where just before he set off to do it, he posted on the Internet saying "violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer."
* An old saying goes "Violence only understands violence": While the defender doesn't want war, it's either fight back or let the other guy take your country.
* Another old adage goes ''[http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Si_vis_pacem:Si vis pacem,_para_bellum para bellum|Si vis pacem, para bellum]]''<ref> ''If you wish for peace, prepare for war.''</ref> History has demonstrated time and again that the ability to wage war is ''necessary'' to defend the values of one's society, including the right of that society to exist. Indeed, even within, a government's authority is based on a [http://en.[wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_on_violence:Monopoly on violence|Monopoly on the use of physical force]], and where it fails to enforce this monopoly, smaller forms of state (e.g. schismatized denominations, terrorist groups and street gangs) rise to fulfill the niche.
** More importantly, there are some people with whom diplomacy will '''not''' work. [[Blood Knight|Blood Knights]], [[Knight Templar|Knight Templars]], and the like are [[Captain Obvious|unlikely to be talked down.]] The main use of diplomacy with such is, as one definition of diplomacy puts it, as the fine art of saying "Nice doggy" while you find a suitable rock.
** And the Roman adage/grammatical mnemonic: ''Vis vim vi vincit'', force beats force with (more) force.
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[[Category:Violence Is The Only Option]]
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