Is peaceful revolution possible?

[vulcanlogician]

A deserted factory floor with not a soul in sight might as well be broken in half. The bottom line looks exactly the same when the robber baron has no one obeying him as it does when he has no factory.

Also, I'm not opposed to destruction of property. I'd rather see that than violence. I'd prefer it were targeted though.

[The Grand Nudger]

Not at all. The property has value, the losses are recoverable. The strike can break, a new group of hated others can be subbed in. Destruction of property is violence, just ask the robber baron.

I feel like we're going to end up with an idea of violence that doesn't mean much more than "all of the stuff we disagree with" - even if some of that stuff is violence by any other description.

[vulcanlogician]

Harm or destruction of a person's body. That's what I'm calling violence. If someone burns down my house, they've wronged me, yes. But I wouldn't say they've committed an act of violence against me. Assault, kidnapping, rape, murder, etc. These qualify as violence in my book.

[The Grand Nudger]

Burning down the villages while the villagers watch is something I'd call violent, personally. There are some violent things I agree with in principle and practice, and some I abhor and think shouldn't be done.

[vulcanlogician]

Burning down the villages while the villagers is what I'd call WRONG. You can be wrong without being violent (theft) and you can be violent without being wrong (rugby). I KNOW you can pick up on that subtlety.

The villagers may prefer violence to having their houses burned down. I'd rather be punched in the face than have my house burned down. I bet the rulers feel the same way about their factories. They'd rather be punched in the face than have all their power deflate before their very eyes.

[The Grand Nudger]

They might, then again, they're not used to being slapped in the face. I guess..and especially when it comes to the kinds of things we'd call oppressive authorities, that it's a combined effort. Some refuse to work, some break equipment, some burn down buildings, some loot. Some go full militant. Some resist in subtle ways, through administrative sabotage. Others..keep working. It's alot for the powers that be to keep track of.

[Ahriman]

Is peaceful revolution possible?

Yeah of course it is. What about the information revolution?

[Secular Elf]

Is peaceful revolution possible?

I’ve been thinking about this question, and I feel the answer is NO.

We are taught that violence is always bad, and that we should use peaceful options such as dialogue to change society. But this is clearly contradictory with reality. The powerful employ violence to keep us under control. Why then is it forbidden for us?

History has taught us that violence has been fundamental in social change. Take the French Revolution for example.

I know violence is ugly. But I think that, at least for now, it is still needed. Society still hasn’t advanced to the point where violence isn’t needed anymore.

I personally feel that violence is sometimes necessary. I am no pacifist, I have nothing against people who are. My nature is such if a son-of-a-bitch is going to try to start some shit with me I am not above finishing it. History has shown us time and time again when one group of people, ranging from small party to as large as a nation-state, who feels that they are meaner and stronger than you, want to bully you, or want something from you they will try to use force to get what they want, and those who are caught with their pants down, weaker in strength of arms or behind in technology get the short end of the stick; sometimes made to go extinct. Sometimes you have to fight, and I am not above blooding someone's nose to protect myself or someone I love.

That is the situation, IMHO, that we (by "we" I mean secularists, freethinkers, Liberals, and Progressives) find ourselves in relation to Conservative Republican theocrats. And it is also my contention that we had better quickly strengthen our position by being prepared and ready for a fight. America is so polarized right now that I think there is no time to ratchet things down. They (the Conservative Republican theocrats, both leadership and rank and file) intend to turn the U.S.A into a theocratic Christian Fascist state, and it looks like to me they are getting pretty damn close to achieving that. Civil war is coming.

My question is: If most of us are conscious and aware of this danger, then why the hell have we not formed an army already? There is going to come a point when it will not be possible to do so.

In my personal opinion, we should organize, form a Leftist army, well trained, well armed, and fight these Conservative bastards and bitches, give them the war they want, whip their asses, and wipe them out. So long as we allow Conservatism to exist we as Progressives, Liberals, and secularists will never get what we want for our children and the future. Conservatives are a stumbling block, and they must be removed. We must conduct a revolution against them!