Baltimore Riots

[Saz]

Non-violence is an inherently privileged position in the modern context. Besides the fact that the typical pacifist is quite clearly white and middle class, pacifism as an ideology comes from a privileged context. It ignores that violence is already here; that violence is an unavoidable, structurally integral part of the current social hierarchy; and that it is people of color who are most affected by that violence. Pacifism assumes that white people who grew up in the suburbs with all their basic needs met can counsel oppressed people, many of whom are people of color, to suffer patiently under an inconceivably greater violence, until such time as the Great White Father is swayed by the movement’s demands or the pacifists achieve that legendary “critical mass.”

[eynon81]

Saz...this thread may be your finest work.

[Saz]

[eynon81]

No I think you may be one of the most articulate voices I've encountered just about anywhere on these issues. You got me to refine my position a bit after a long and heated discussion...

[Saz]

[eynon81]

[Saz]

[The Comrade]

[The Comrade]

[spacemonkey]

In the end, probably nothing will change. The rich will still be rich, the poor still poor. Opportunity will continue to shrink with every passing day. The main concern will eventually return to Who will be in and win the "big game", or who is doing who in Hollywood, and who's clothes are they wearing.