My argument isn't that insisting on peace (when your opponent is waging war) is "doing nothing"; rather, it is that it is "accomplishing nothing". Civil tactics will not, INHO, make much of an impression on this foe.

Pacifism is an ideal, and a very fine one, at that. But, to every thing there is a season, and (to paraphrase something that Doug said above) at times the only way to arrive at peace is to wage war.