Forum Post: Nonviolence
Posted 13 years ago on Sept. 23, 2011, 6:29 p.m. EST by DanRose
(33)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
No matter how wedded you are to the ideal of nonviolence, I recommend reading this book, even if only to clarify in your own mind what nonviolence actually is.
“As a nonviolent activist, perhaps I should have been offended by the title of Peter Gelderloos’ new book, How Nonviolence Protects the State, or by chapter headings like ‘Nonviolence is Deluded.’ And yet upon finishing this book, which attempts to systematically tear down many of the values and strategies to which I’ve devoted the last 20 years of my life, I found myself strangely exhilarated: the revolution is alive.” — Sue Frankel-Streit, review on Richmond IMC
“Peter’s exploration of how power is upheld by the privileged through ideological nonviolence challenges white middle class activists to question if they are truly committed to solidarity with oppressed peoples.” — Jason Lydon, Congregational Director, Community Church of Boston
http://revolutionaryresources.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/how-nonviolence-protects-the-state/
Non-violent protest work only when you are willing to die in the progress.
What I see is the police form lines and people wait. Never allow them to prepare, you see them, march up to them, they beat you, just keep walking and surround them. They kill someone next to you, keep doing what you were doing. Soon they will have to justify to themselves why they are killing other humans who are doing nothing. It's then you have won.
The worst non -violent protest is the one where people run away, flees, and are beaten down like cattle. That will emit fear to the populace and work as a deterrence. If you stand your ground while doing nothing violent and they kill you it will exact outrage on the rest of the populace and population of the world.
The next best thing is a violent uprising. Like happened in Libya. (however I've a feeling that one was staged.)
That's actually the same thing Gandhi recommended to the jews in World War II. (Not lying)
Did they follow his recommendation?
Those who did, died. The ones who took part in armed uprisings (even unsuccessful ones) had the highest survival rates.
Doesn't this then validate his recommendations? Ghandhi as I recollect never opposed armed resistance, even preferred that to not doing anything, or weak willed protest.
To die is not a failure. If you go to a protest with survival in the back of your mind, then you're going in weakly. There must be a do or die mentality in it.