Revolution pt 1
I’ve been thinking a lot about revolution lately. Not sure why; probably because we need one so bad. We’re long overdue, you know. There’s a quote by someone that says, if you don’t stir the pot once in a while, all the scum gathers on the top.
Anyways, being of the nonviolent bent, I was also thinking about Gandhi. There is the ideal revolutionary, a personal hero of mine. (Incidentally, he took inspiration from Thoreau, pacifist, free-thinker, and another hero of mine). Everyone thinks of Gandhi as this gentle passive guy. He wasn’t; he was a true revolutionary. In fact, he was one of the most effective ones. He wasn’t just some meek, quiet whiner, but nor was he a flash-in-the-pan warlord; he actively protested the British in India, did everything he could, save commit acts of violence. It was a brilliant strategy, and here’s why.
When you are standing up to someone, a violent someone, and you commit no acts of violence back, well, as he attacks you again and again (and the British did, gunning down peaceful gatherings of Sikhs, and violently subduing many protests), well, it becomes obvious who the aggressors are. You leave them no option for their twisted propaganda, to say “we must fight them there so we don’t have to fight them at home” or “we’re defending against terrorists/rebels/evildoers.” The actions are there for all to see. This is why the British left India, they could not maintain the image of righteous overlords.
Now, for one, I support the Palestinian cause (minus the bloodshed). They’re treated like second-class citizens by Israel; they ARE second-class citizens, without the vote and with anti-Palestinian measures like with the new wall or being used as human shields. Shit, how many of them live in refugee camps? So, my suggestion to the Palestinians, a people who are obviously not afraid of pain or to die for their cause, is this. Stop the violence. If you think the Israelis are the evil ones, let them prove it by their actions. Don’t fight back, don’t lift a finger against them. Soon the whole world will be on your side.
Because, in wars, the “other side” tends to get propagandized into subhuman categories. Well, the difference between humans and animals, or one of the major ones, is restraint. An angry dog will bite, an angry bee will sting (even to its own demise), but we can hold back, and use those powerful emotions in a more effective way. Yes, suicide bombs hurt the enemy, but non-violence (not passivity, mind you) would be far more damaging. Using restraint, we can show who is really acting like an animal.
Anyways, being of the nonviolent bent, I was also thinking about Gandhi. There is the ideal revolutionary, a personal hero of mine. (Incidentally, he took inspiration from Thoreau, pacifist, free-thinker, and another hero of mine). Everyone thinks of Gandhi as this gentle passive guy. He wasn’t; he was a true revolutionary. In fact, he was one of the most effective ones. He wasn’t just some meek, quiet whiner, but nor was he a flash-in-the-pan warlord; he actively protested the British in India, did everything he could, save commit acts of violence. It was a brilliant strategy, and here’s why.
When you are standing up to someone, a violent someone, and you commit no acts of violence back, well, as he attacks you again and again (and the British did, gunning down peaceful gatherings of Sikhs, and violently subduing many protests), well, it becomes obvious who the aggressors are. You leave them no option for their twisted propaganda, to say “we must fight them there so we don’t have to fight them at home” or “we’re defending against terrorists/rebels/evildoers.” The actions are there for all to see. This is why the British left India, they could not maintain the image of righteous overlords.
Now, for one, I support the Palestinian cause (minus the bloodshed). They’re treated like second-class citizens by Israel; they ARE second-class citizens, without the vote and with anti-Palestinian measures like with the new wall or being used as human shields. Shit, how many of them live in refugee camps? So, my suggestion to the Palestinians, a people who are obviously not afraid of pain or to die for their cause, is this. Stop the violence. If you think the Israelis are the evil ones, let them prove it by their actions. Don’t fight back, don’t lift a finger against them. Soon the whole world will be on your side.
Because, in wars, the “other side” tends to get propagandized into subhuman categories. Well, the difference between humans and animals, or one of the major ones, is restraint. An angry dog will bite, an angry bee will sting (even to its own demise), but we can hold back, and use those powerful emotions in a more effective way. Yes, suicide bombs hurt the enemy, but non-violence (not passivity, mind you) would be far more damaging. Using restraint, we can show who is really acting like an animal.
posted by Brandon at 2:20 PM
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