Commentators like the New York Times’ Bret Stephens have called slain CEO Brian Thompson a “working-class hero.” You don’t have to condone murder to see through that ridiculous claim about a man who was at the helm of a legalized extortion racket.
Vigilante violence doesn’t lead to enduring systematic change.
Normally I agree with most of jacobin’s articles but I don’t agree with this. It’s pretty obvious that things have already changed, even if it’s just temporary. (Speaking as a non American spectator at least tbf)
Yeah that’s fair, I did actually notice what I wrote kind of argued against itself 😅. My counterpoint would be that it’s clear there’s more work to be done to make it not temporary
This is a historically illiterate reply. The French Revolution was enacted by organized political resistance, not random assassinations. As the author points out, such acts never achieve any substantial or lasting change.
Well I meant lasting positive change. This means building better systems—there’s just no other way to do it. Some assassinations have clearly altered the course of history but they didn’t really improve society.
Vigilante violence can be distinguished from revolutionary violence because it is carried out without a Party. It’s just random people on their own deciding to do violence i.e. adventurism. It can’t bring enduring change.
It can also lull a population into complacency rather than getting organized, and it can provoke the government into counter-revolution before the masses have reached a revolutionary stage. Adventurism can strangle any potential revolution in the crib.
Normally I agree with most of jacobin’s articles but I don’t agree with this. It’s pretty obvious that things have already changed, even if it’s just temporary. (Speaking as a non American spectator at least tbf)
It’s strange to cite what may be “just temporary” changes when you’re quoting “enduring systematic change”
Yeah that’s fair, I did actually notice what I wrote kind of argued against itself 😅. My counterpoint would be that it’s clear there’s more work to be done to make it not temporary
We could just depose them all and find out. I mean, that’s what they do to us.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
This is a historically illiterate reply. The French Revolution was enacted by organized political resistance, not random assassinations. As the author points out, such acts never achieve any substantial or lasting change.
The only recent-ish example I can think of that actually applies is Gavrilo Princip, and the consequences were mostly accidental.
And also wildly catastrophic
Well I meant lasting positive change. This means building better systems—there’s just no other way to do it. Some assassinations have clearly altered the course of history but they didn’t really improve society.
Organized vigilante violence, then.
Vigilante violence can be distinguished from revolutionary violence because it is carried out without a Party. It’s just random people on their own deciding to do violence i.e. adventurism. It can’t bring enduring change.
No, but it can inspire a populace to rise up and challenge their oppressors.
It can also lull a population into complacency rather than getting organized, and it can provoke the government into counter-revolution before the masses have reached a revolutionary stage. Adventurism can strangle any potential revolution in the crib.
Has he heard of the French revolution? That was a bit of lasting change
looks at current French government
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette_bombing_and_arson_campaign
So do the ends justify the means?
Remains to be seen
That’s an answer to the underlying questions. You think the means can justify the ends, but you aren’t sure because you don’t know the ends yet.
Yes.