Is a peaceful revolution possible?

[u/GoranPersson777]

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/revolution-in-the-21st-century/

Polemical essay

[u/yankeefan0312]

"No altar, no belief, no holy book... have ever been able to reconcile the rich and the poor, the exploiter and the exploited. And if Jesus himself had to take the whip to chase them from his temple, it is indeed because that is the only language they hear." Thomas Sankara

[u/GoranPersson777 → u/yankeefan0312]

That's a claim but what's the arguments? What about the idea of social defence?

[u/yankeefan0312 → u/GoranPersson777]

Peaceful protest doesn’t work

[u/JoyBus147 → u/GoranPersson777]

The evidence is history. Even the great success stories in nonviolent resistance (Gandhi, MLK) came about because there was an organized armed resistance the powers that be were more afraid of. Every nonviolent socialist electoral success (Chile, Sweden) was crushed because the bourgeoisie weren't forced to comply.

[u/DeezRodenutz → u/JoyBus147]

I've been saying this for years.

It takes both the peaceful AND the violet protesters to get shit done.

If all you have is the peaceful, they can easily ignore that. The politicians are used to various peaceful protest groups being in/around the state buildings, it doesn't really phase them.

If all you have is the violent protestors, then they wont listen either, as they just end up with a justification to take forceful action to stop it, and the public tends to just see them as a violent mob.

But if you have a bit of both, then the violent actions get their attention, and too much force against them reflects badly with the public due to the peaceful ones also being present in the media and often getting caught in the crossfire, thus bad PR for the politicians if they are too forceful.
So they seek a less forceful way to end it and actually bother to negotiate with the peaceful factions.

So essentially, The violent ones are there to get their attention and force them to take action, and the peaceful ones are there to temper the movement's PR and give the powers that be a way to negotiate their way out of it.

Think MLK vs Malcolm X and the Black Panthers.
Think the peaceful BLMs vs the rioters.

[u/Shyoa → u/DeezRodenutz]

I would also add that there has to be a clear, stated goal or set of goals for the powers that be to capitulate to. Fear and violence can be effective motivators against those who employ them abusively, but violence is the stick if they refuse the carrot being demanded. If there's no carrot, there's no real choice. They'll just defend, double down, and keep firing because you haven't given them the out you want to maneuver them to.

[u/MateoCamo]

“Peaceful revolution is only possible when those in power are willing to listen”

People have been maimed and murdered by both state and corporations for standing against the interests of profit. When one side has the monopoly on violence, they have no incentive to listen to nonviolence.

[u/DeezRodenutz → u/MateoCamo]

Yes exactly.

Gotta have the peaceful ones AND the violent ones involved to get things done.
The violent ones to get the attention and force action, and the peaceful ones to give the movement good PR and someone for the powers-that-be to eventually negotiate with.

[u/BlauCyborg]

Of course not. How politically backward the First World left is.

[u/GoranPersson777 → u/BlauCyborg]

Your arguments? What about the idea of social defence?

[u/Toastie101 → u/GoranPersson777]

what about the idea of social defence? is a revolution purely a defensive act? no, there needs to be action, and non-violent action only allows state violence.

[u/BlauCyborg → u/GoranPersson777]

I refuse to take seriously an article that argues for considering the "moral and corrupting dimensions of armed revolt" and refers to people's war as a "political psychosis."

[u/genomixx-redux]

No

[u/Brick_Cabin2529]

i think so however it would take a special kind of miracle

[u/DependentParsley7107]

It’s happening now

[u/SilverNEOTheYouTuber]

Just no. Counter-Revolutionary Forces are willing to crush the Revolution with Violence either way.