Strategic peaceful resistance is the way. It seems counterintuitive but you get more participation which is really key and it lowers the bar for people to move to your side because it’s not a matter of life and death it’s just a matter of not doing what they were doing before.
What I’m implying is that you are not necessarily just coming off as the good guys because in my mind the bad guys want to do violence and the good guys typically kind of don’t
Of course I have to edit this immediately to say that politicians aren’t the good guys it doesn’t matter what side they’re on
Yeah, a desire for violence has fomented in the left and it’s hard to condemn as someone here in it because it’s in many ways “stop stepping on the snake”. We’ve watched people march with swastikas, we’re seeing dehumanization of marginalized groups, we’ve protested against police violence, and now masked government agents are taking people to detention camps. And that’s not touching on the climate issue.
I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I want no more violence, but that feels off the table. The left is arming because we’re fucking terrified. The queer left in particular has reason to fear. But I’m increasingly seeing the need for pacifists, nonviolent resistance, and people who can talk to people who don’t agree with us yet.
What I desperately want is for all people to be free to live as they choose and to have enough.
I wish the left had half the balls the right claims they do
Strategic peaceful resistance is the way. It seems counterintuitive but you get more participation which is really key and it lowers the bar for people to move to your side because it’s not a matter of life and death it’s just a matter of not doing what they were doing before.
Would you like to know more?:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/02/why-nonviolent-resistance-beats-violent-force-in-effecting-social-political-change/
Exactly, you need to come off as the good guys and the ordinary majority. Violence turns people off unless they’re pretty invested
What I’m implying is that you are not necessarily just coming off as the good guys because in my mind the bad guys want to do violence and the good guys typically kind of don’t
Of course I have to edit this immediately to say that politicians aren’t the good guys it doesn’t matter what side they’re on
Yeah, a desire for violence has fomented in the left and it’s hard to condemn as someone here in it because it’s in many ways “stop stepping on the snake”. We’ve watched people march with swastikas, we’re seeing dehumanization of marginalized groups, we’ve protested against police violence, and now masked government agents are taking people to detention camps. And that’s not touching on the climate issue.
I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I want no more violence, but that feels off the table. The left is arming because we’re fucking terrified. The queer left in particular has reason to fear. But I’m increasingly seeing the need for pacifists, nonviolent resistance, and people who can talk to people who don’t agree with us yet.
What I desperately want is for all people to be free to live as they choose and to have enough.
It’s easy enough for me to condemn because it’s not a good strategy. When violence erupts the more brutal will win. Guess who’s more brutal.
Not using violence does tend to give one the moral high ground, yes.
The appeal of peaceful compromise only exists with the fear of uncompromising, violent extremists.