Violence isn't the answer to the very large societal problems we are faced with.
I've written this numerous times lately in response to various posts I've read in Internet forums. I think the people who really want a violent shot at revolution are a small minority, but there's no doubting that there's a lot of anger out there.
To me, violence is morally wrong and strategically flawed.
Violence should only be an option in truly defensive situations. Aggression always carries a high price and rarely leads to a peaceful "new order." It tends to take on a life of its own -- at least somewhat beyond the control of the participants -- and to lead either to centralized power or a vacuum for chaos to slip into rather than a space for logic, reason and compassion to fill.
Many people who advocate violent means -- and they may believe passionately it is the best way to peace and equality -- don't really understand violence, in much the same way that many reckless drivers have not spent much time in trauma wards seeing the broken bodies and head injuries that result from car accidents.
The people advocating violent revolution also tend to want change NOW because they are fed up (understandably) and feel that nothing is changing. I would contend that a great deal is changing and that a new social order must be built in increments, cooperatively and thoughtfully. Yes, the clock is ticking on the environment, the starving millions and nuclear doomsday. This means more people must be persuaded to join the charge for social change and we all must work harder. It does NOT mean that violent revolution will magically install a new status quo that will solve these things. It won't.
Furthermore, coordinating a revolution of force is not simply achieved and I don't believe that it could even be seriously initiated in the U.S. You don't just send out an email blast and get millions of armed people in the street, well marshaled, trained, supplied and so forth. It's not going to happen. You might get semi-minor uprisings but that will just be an excuse for the Establishment to bring out the iron fist and then spin it all in the media. It MAY gain some sympathy with the masses, but it's an extreme wager for a doubtful return. Put simply, there are better ways to achieve any of the positive outcomes that may (or may not) result from violent measures.
Violence begets violence. War begets war. To resort to mass violence would be to mimic those we most despise and wish to depose. We would become like them. We would be history repeating itself. And we would be perpetuating a pattern that will inevitably result in more violent upheavals down the track.
There is no perfect solution, no quick fix, and we will never have a perfect society. But with hard work, determination, and the better angels of our nature driving us on, we CAN achieve a vastly changed world that will work for the majority, not the minority.
From there we can work together to continue making improvements.
Take care,
Adrian
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might like to take a look at THE REVOLUTION IS KNOCKING -- PT. 1.
