for the leftists- how far will you take it? I know I hate violence and find conflict quite distressing- however I have in the past been party to it by allowing people to do vengeance on my part. It is fucking grubby and reeks of complicity.
I'd like to say 'first at the shovel' but I know that large scale stuff would sicken me- to the point that I would go that pacifists route of 'oh god, we are just as bad as them now'
Which is why you shouldn't start the violence, merely finish it.
And yet they have the monopoly on violence.
No, they have the monopoly on the legal use of violence, and only because we cede them that monopoly.
Sometimes it is necessary to wrest by force or roll over and feed the ovens. So where is the tipping point? Spontaneous uprisings have the terrible lack of planning that often sees them defeated quickly despite popular support.
Which is why the most long-lived uprisings only
seem spontaneous, but usually have a lot of planning behind them.
And yet planning or considering violent actions also troubles me- the greater good. I hear that phrase and my
face comes on.
Then don't plan or consider such actions, just bear in mind that violence
may be a necessary counter to violent behaviour by the state.
And yet, I know the histories of crushed peoples, Arawak casualties and so forth.
If they had fought on equal terms...
Where do we draw the line and say 'no further'?
I don't agree with the pre-emptive use of violence.
I do, however, believe that the moment a functionary of the state raises a hand to myself or others, then I'm entitled to defend myself or others.
We now know, from what has gone on in the last few years, that the "kettle" and the riot gear-wearing ASP-wielder is the default behaviour of those who police demonstrations. We need to bear this in mind, and to act accordingly, whether that means padding up, developing protest tactics that take the advantage away from the tools of the state, flooding the media with recorded examples of poor behaviour by those tools of the state, or all of the above plus more.
