The Threat of Revolt, Protest, or Revolution

Philosophy Forums Society, Government, and Economics
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I always found it odd during Bush’s time in office that when confronted with mass demonstrations (that literally would rip the head off his body), that he smugly tells reporters something along the lines of: “It’s their constitutional right and I support it. We live in a free society.” I wondered about why he was so smug about it, often smirking or smiling. Then, just today, I realized that protests of “free speech” are allowed, because they pose no real harm to anybody…

I believe that this “non-violent” protesting is and was inspired by “non-violent” protests of African Americans and Eastern Indians. However, MLK and Ghandi understood the most important concept of “non-violent” protests were to provoke the other side into violence and not fight back in response to this violence. In this way, sacrifices were made, appropriately, because such protests were spiritual by definition. MLK and Ghandi were both spiritual leaders and their movements were moral by nature.

Today, Nothing is sacred, so there is no more sacrifice in protests. White Americans (I presume) do not understand what it means to “protest”. To protest means that you are putting your life on the line for a cause. These protests are dumbed-down, because they no longer pose a threat to the institution. If they did, then Bush would not be so smug about the idea of protests, which cannot affect him. He is “immune” from public opinion. Though, as a side note, America learned that it is not immune from world elitist opinion (the global ruling class). So I am curious how many people other than me have observed this change in “protesting”, that it really has no effect anymore. Even if a protest gets “out of hand”, turning into a revolt, which can then turn into a revolution, the protest is not given media-coverage. This means that only if an extremely violent atrocity were to happen (U.S. “riot police” killing hundreds of people), then it would be reported. When this toll is not accounted for, then there is no need for the news to report it except as a minor detail.

(The lives of the masses are insignificant to the ruling elite.)

So, the next idea that comes to me is: what issue is worth dying over? What issue is so critical that a protest is needed to the point of revolt, or revolution? How much blood can the rich suck from the poor before it gets out of hand, before people care about the sanctity of their own lives? I don’t have the answers to these questions. I only assume that nobody has any reasons to live & die by the sword anymore.

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try stealing from the “evil” rich and see rivers of liberal blood flow.

standing in line for government cheeze is such a great reason to overthrow the economy…

I can’t wait until the revolution comes home to the socialist/communist/liberal democrats…

-Imp

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Of course, if you put your hands on the real wealth of this world, then not only can you kiss your hand goodbye, you can also forget a quick & painless death, the lives of your family & friends, their family & friends, and everything else you hold dear in the world… But, that’s not the point I’m making here. I want to see some fireworks…

Where do I sign-up for front-row seats?

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realunoriginal, I was looking for a space just now to put some comments that have come to mind in the past three weeks.

Over the last three weeks I’ve had a great opportunity to mingle with some of the well to do, young, expat community.

I’ve had after dinner drinks with sweatshop owners, heads of NGOs, PhDs, fashion designers, engineers, businessmen, media techs and developers of every stripe.

But one huge question hangs over everything:

“Where are the radical youth?”

There is no lack of intelligence among Global Youth. There is a certain amount of lack of awareness; but only so far; everyone knows about the environment, everyone knows about the wars of occupation and the like… No one is looking past their cars, houses, girlfriends, jobs, next vacation, electronics and the like.

And why would they after all? Western Young People have nothing to complain about. Damn, this latte is too hot! And for our Third World Brothers and Sisters, things are looking up! Shoes, cell phones, paved roads, new bridges, new high-rises, new malls, job and education opportunities.

To my eyes, the problem is long since obvious: DEVELOPMENT.

Back to the villages; but not total ludditism, modern medicine, for instance, is helpful.

Development and modern society are tied up together is a complex ideology. There is no arguing with Global Youth; they know every line of every propaganda program that constructed their thinking.

As for the free speech you bring up; of course, you are exactly right; words are nothing. This is not to say that protest doesn’t bring down government; it does all the time, or at least the government comes down in the days of the protests. How often however is this new government any different from the previous one? Not often.

As I had a little free time this last month, I read again the recent history both of Korea and Cambodia. What is the saddest in this, and I knew it, I’ve read these stories before, is that fifty or one-hundred years ago, the educated youth were radicalized; active. It was the teachers and students who protested the Japanese, protested the Royalist, protested the Americans; and they died and went to prison for this in the thousands. Soloth Sar was a school teacher, as was Park Chung-hee.

I, however would, if I were you, drop the part about the government and elite. Today’s educated young people police their thoughts and behavior very closely. The elite are a non-issue. It is the attitude of DEVELOPMENT among the Global Youth, and the thousand excuses --and high hopes we have for it which is very much more insidious than anything the tiny elite class can do.

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I’ll need to ponder your points – when everything is plentiful, then nothing seems worth dying for nowadays.

I suppose I’m wondering about this “loss of spirit” in man from my perspective; where the hell did it go exactly?

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It went skipping into Wal-mart.

As long as people have most basic needs and one or two luxuries there will be no revolt. Revolt takes effort and sacrifice. Thats a lot of work just to get a maybe on freedoms and rights. You see, we are taught “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.”

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Kriswest has it more or less right. MTV. Who will risk losing their job, injury, humiliation, imprisonment, or maybe death if things aren’t that bad? Idealists, very sensitive and ethical persons…

There is also, in some countries a tradition of protest and rebellion.

This can be answered, historically speaking.

Read here to start with, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protest

and also the discussion page, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Protest

That should get you started, I trust you have already familiarized yourself with The Rebel and other well known works on the theory of protest and revolt.

Also have a look at “what people say” as Aristotle advised when examining some problem, news.google.co.uk/news?hl=en&ned=uk&q=protest

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You’re right and I didn’t anticipate the effect of generalized global “success” for the human race and what leveling affect it has on the masses. If everybody has water, food, and shelter, then is there really anything to complain about? I suppose there’s not if you have the same standards as me, but on my behalf, people used to believe in something worth dying for in addition with living a life. When that “purpose” is gone, then so is the wetness of water, the spices of food, and the familiarity of home. I don’t know if that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, but then again, that’s just me.

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There still is one thing worth dying for if you are a society of selfish sentient creatures and that is love.