MLK’s strategy only worked because the powers that be understood that Malcom X was the alternative.
Comment on EU vs USA
snoons@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
IMO peaceful protests do have an impact; however, there is a point where those stop working and more direct action needs to be taken.
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 1 day ago
MLKs strategies were effective because they were novel and the state hadn’t built up the tools to deal with them. They had been caught off guard.
The state long ago developed strategies to deal with protest including the use of media for narrative management, and the long term the socialization of “peaceful protest as the only acceptable form of protest” among left wing populations.
The state adapted and evolved to be able to safely ignore peaceful protest, and also ran a long term propaganda campaign that “peaceful protest” is the only form of protest acceptable, and even further, has propagandized to convince people it’s the only form of protest even possible or effective.
MLK was effective because the state hadn’t dealt with those strategies before. They adapted to deal with those strategies, then built funnels for grievances to focus exclusively on the tactics they had adapted to be able to ignore.
mech@feddit.org 1 day ago
looking around at things in 2026
Did it really work?
FosterMolasses@leminal.space 1 day ago
Problem is people don’t want to out of fear of the police
Is this not the point of the whole thing lol
That’s like saying in 1939 “I would resist harder if not for the Nazi officers… guess I’ll comply a few more years.”
snoons@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Exactly. It’s the crux of the issue. Peaceful protests should work, and sometimes do; however, there is always the ability of the authorities to just… ignore because they have various police forces to maintain the status quo (maintain order).
Then what? What is the next course of action? Voting didn’t work, peaceful protests didn’t work… what next? If reforming the current system hasn’t worked for the last century and more, what is the alternative?
CIA_chatbot@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Peaceful protests only make an impact when they turn violent. And usually only when the Govt. initiates the violence. Right now the Govt. WANTS the violence because then they can declare martial law and stop the midterm elections.
boopickle1310@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Women got the right to vote through non-violence. This is completely untrue that nonviolence has done nothing. If the numbers get big enough, the government will begin to be afraid of us, again. The billionaires might be afraid again if we show up in the millions to their front door.
WraithGear@lemmy.world 10 hours ago
congrats you are a victim of historical white washing.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Buddy read some history first
CIA_chatbot@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Ugh, look up the suffragettes - their was 100% violence
Imma leave this here from Wikipedia
Suffragette violence refers to the militant actions taken by members of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the early 20th century, including bombings and arson, aimed at gaining women’s suffrage in the UK. This campaign, which lasted from 1912 to 1914, resulted in casualties and was viewed by many as a form of terrorism, ultimately leading to a complex legacy regarding the suffrage movement’s effectiveness and public perception
This led directly to the US women’s right to vote movement
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Yeah I’m sure the suffragettes mail bombing campaign and assassination program had nothing to do with it.
Battle_Masker@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
not so much police, but the fact that leaked documents that are all but official government documents showed that they’re activiely planning for protests to turn violent so they can go full Stalin and start shooting, arresting, and executing people on the grounds of “fuck you that’s why”
sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
Unfortunately our lives need to become shit enough that being beat or shot is no longer a deterrent.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 9 hours ago
Luthens plan in Andor to create more conflict and oppression in the galaxy to get the people to rise up in rebellion against the empire makes more and more sense with each passing day.
gizmonicus@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Yep, but if it does reach that tipping point, it’s going to get very ugly.
variablenine@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 hours ago
Imho it’s on the fast track to reaching that point. It’s been getting bad for years and only been accelerated over the past year and a half.
gizmonicus@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago
I agree it is. It’s just not there yet. Speaking for myself, I still have a lot to lose. I know a lot of people in that same boat, and these people saying we should overthrow our government forget that a significant portion of the populace fully supports what the trump administration is doing and many of them work for the fucking cops. And the ones who don’t support trump aren’t desperate enough yet. It’s going to take a critical mass of desperation before anything real changes. I wish it didn’t work that way, but too many people are complacent and just fuck off whenever they’re given an opportunity to vote these cunts out.
trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf 1 day ago
If?