Is violence ever defensible in politics.

I think it can be as long as two provisions are met:

1) There is no viable alternative strategy.
2) The recipients are themselves violent.

I just don't think pacifism can work unless there is a peaceful democratic route to change.

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SatanBurger · 36-40, F

I think it is defensible occasionally. That's my for sure opinion. However, the one problem I can find that doesn't have me fully supporting violence in politics is that human rights movements are too easy to subterfuge from the inside. If some people actually found a secret way to tell and weed them out, I would trust them a lot more at their word but until that happens, it's sort of a grey area. Not all who claim their good, are good.

I don't believe in the bible much but it was correct when it says beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing. I think it was referring to false prophets but I'm more referring to subterfuge. Their the most dangerous in my opinion. Everyone wants to believe in good, therefore it's the greatest logical fallacy and the one paradox standing in the way of true human improvement.

Bleep

I'm more for peaceful protests, like BLM. They get targeted for violence, yet get blamed for it. It doesn't make sense.

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Bleep

@Burnley123 I'm sure you're right, but to retain my sanity, I have to believe that justice ultimately prevails.

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

But who decides what justice is? People have different values and different interests. Politics is the process of contesting those interests.

Humanity has progressed over time but it's been very uneven. Most good things to happen have been fought for by pressure from below.

Bleep

@Burnley123 You're right. It's a utopian idea of a true fairness used to support a society's general consensus on morality and the laws that arise out of said morality. Completely subjective and differing dependent on perspective. Justice is merely a word that exemplifies our deepest decent feelings that the truth in all things becomes so evident as to dictate our judgement in all matters. I'm hoping there's more decency among us than evil.

Cierzo · M

I agree with number 2, but number 1 is a dangerous statement, it may be used to support terrorism. The definition of "no viable alternative strategy' is very subjective.

SW-User

I agree.

bijouxbroussard · F

It’s always puzzled me when right-wingers have told me over my relatively long life, that [b]my[/b] heroes should be the ones who espouse non-violence, when [b]none[/b] of their heroes do. 🤔

Burnley123 · 41-45, M

@bijouxbroussard Absolutely. This is a difficult issue for the left because it runs against our instincts. What do you do when you come up against violent power structures though?

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