You keep mentioning France. What does a revolt against a Monarchy that had absolutely power got to do with the 21st century? Riots were more effective 200+ years ago. They don't do shit now.
Mate.. The only difference between there and now, was the structure of society and the rights of peoples. But to scare the power, it's the same things.
The only difference is that this time, the liberals in power are not scared for their lives, but for their place in society. A revolution like 1789 could perfectly happen again if things get out of hand. With no decapitations of course, but the violence could be similar.
Here I'm talking about a revolution, it's a Riot x1000, so of course, I'm not really advocating for it. I don't think it's necessary. But today most of the structures of powers in the world are showing that simple protest or general strike is not enough to make gov take a step back.
In certain countries France / Italy / Argentina / UK / Israel / China / Iran etc. the power is radicalized, sometimes, liberal sometimes ""communist"" some time liberatarian or straight up pre-fascist but in all cases authoritarian to a certain various of degrees. The strikes and peacefull prostest are not enough anymore, people are losing limbs, eyes, minds and sometimes their life simply by being in a protest. It's NOT normal.
In those cases (or in cases where the power refuses to listen to the population like in the US with BLM), riots or rather violent protest are the ONLY solution for the oppressed to be heared.
Yes, it's sad. But instead of blaming those who simply want to survive and make a change, blame those in power who uses the police and sometimes the army to enforce their oppression on people and repress the strikes and protests.
A violent protest SCARES the power. It might not change things on the spot, but it challenges its authority and weakens its legitimacy. This creates more opposition in order to create, later, stronger oppositions.
That's if - of course - people are not killed or jailed on the spot for protesting.
You really love the idea of a civil war where everyone starts killing each other.
Mate.. you guys are the proof here that when someone tries to warn you that you are doing a lot of BS in power, you DON'T move and literally laugh at those who try to take the pacific road.
Project that kind of behavior to our society and you will understand why civil wars are not created by those who want change because of survival but provocked by people who refuses those changes.
War bad.
Ok.
So what do we do with that ? Do we try to listen to the whistle blowers and activist swho are warning the power and the world of the difficulties of survival of the populations ? Or do we laugh at them and try to delegitimize them saying that they don't really understand the economy and politic in general until we are force to face them in the streets ?
Yes. Violent protest should not happen. But sometimes, it's the only solution.
Rodney King and George Floyd riots didn't do shit for black Americans but destroy their own communities and have higher police presence and/or higher crime rates.
It literally started a fire in multiple countries for black minorities to organize and rise up against police violences mate. And it DID scare the power at the time, but indeed, not enough.
Riot are violent yes, but Riots are before everything inspiring. They show that we still have an agentivity and when the reason for rioting are just, the chain reaction created can be liberating.
You need also to understand that when I'm talking about violent protest. I'm placing them in a political context of activism. Violent protest alone can't create clear change. it's when those protest are pushed with social organization, mediatisation and different other political and ac tivist tactics that the result can really happen.
You won't get free healthcare in the US by demanding nicely:
- Either you take it because of someone you elected
- Either there will be a massive national protest happening
And looking at the situation of the working class there... it won't take long before people gets REALLY angry.
Attacking and looting each other
Looting and attacking big labels IS a form of anticapitalist protest. That's only when it happens against small businesses that it's problematic and must be stopped. But those would be marginal in those movements. THe majority will simply fight against the police.
Sadly, it takes time and ressources to really organize populations. And sometimes, it's a luxury.
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Violent protests. Good for creating change or ineffective ?