Anti-government extremism is not one coherent ideology or organisation. It can encompass sovereign citizens, conspiracy theorists and others who come to see government institutions as fundamentally corrupt, illegitimate or actively working against ordinary citizens.
(emphasis mine) shit cuz they’re onto me :p
Our research points towards an approach known as procedural justice. “Procedurally just” governance is about how governments exercise their authority. It means treating citizens with respect, making decisions fairly and without bias to prevent benefiting one special-interest group over another, being transparent about motives for legislation or new government processes. It also means giving people meaningful opportunities to have their voices heard.
Importantly, our study found that when people perceived government as more procedurally just they reported lower levels of anger and were less likely to perceive the government as illegitimate.
This relationship was evident among both conspiracy believers and non-believers. It means procedural justice shouldn’t be dismissed as merely good public relations. It potentially forms part of Australia’s strategy for preventing violent extremism.
[…]
Rather, governments need a two-track response. They need to identify and disrupt people moving towards violence. But they also need to reduce the conditions that can make that violence attractive in the first place. These include alienation, anger and a belief that public institutions exercise power without listening to people or treating them fairly and equally.
I thought this was a good and thoughtful piece to have been put out so soon after what appears to be an attempted political assassination of a politician who, near as I can tell, wanted more government transparency and accountability.
Not really a great sign of the times. With government building out some of the largest surveillance machines in the world I suspect we can conclude what the response will be. As the author highlights though, restoring trust and a sense of justice is more important to get back to a society where we feel our concerns can be dealt with non violently.
Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
fuck the government, we don’t need masters
budget_biochemist@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
The disappointing community response to Covid-19 in 2020 demonstrated why we do need rules and enforcement of them.
Faced with an outbreak of a contagious disease, too many Australians refused to wear a mask, quarantine or distance until it was legally mandated.
Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
we don’t need a government to do those things and be organised as a community
naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
bit of a non-sequitur
Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
Let me rephrase then: I think the government is fundamentally corrupt, so we should abolish it regardless of whatever half-assed attempts they make to placate the majority. They’ll undoubtedly continuing to assault and disempower the same oppressed people that they currently do, for the profit of a select number of corporate elites.
Because that’s what I mean. It can’t be fixed, they can just put in measures to retain power.
shirro@aussie.zone 2 weeks ago
In Australia we generally view government as our servants not masters. We don’t elect a tyrant to rule us. We elect a local member who we can meet and talk to and ask for help with problems.
I disagree with my local member’s politics but I don’t regard him as a bad person or someone out to get me.
I really don’t understand this. Any group of people living together inevitably creates rules and governance to serve their common interests. How are the roads going to be maintained and garbage collected without people contributing money into a pool and electing someone to administer it.
Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
There is a cultural belief that we elect people and it’s good and fine and works, but that’s observably false. It’s a fantasy idea of what government is supposed to be, but that’s not what it is in practice.
The reaction to people wanting their “representatives” to actually represent them has been an increase in oppressive violence, things like ramping up state violence and introducing anti-protest laws.
The people in my community have been hospitalised, deported, raped and even killed because they wanted things to be better. We’ve gone through all the officially sanctioned channels, we’ve used protest to make ourselves heard, but we’re only being beaten.
As you said, any group of people are going to create rules, but they don’t need to create hierarchical government to effectively enforce those rules, or organise the day to day activities of society. We’ve organised without government plenty of times before.
We’re not just saying things purely out of anger, there’s a massive amount of theory behind it. If you really do want to understand, then if recommend you read some of the anarchist faq or any leftist theory tbh. At the very least, you’ll likely find the ideas interesting even if you don’t agree with everything. I tend to find most people who seriously engage with these ideas agree with a good deal of them. All we’re asking for is society to organise in a more just and equitable way, while disabling or limiting the avenues for corruption to take hold.
I once thought the same as you, we’re literally drowned in propaganda from birth so it’s extremely hard to break out from the dominant ideology, but there are better ways if you decide to evaluate the alternatives on their own merits and not pre-concieved notions of what they are.
givesomefucks@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Anyone who says government isn’t needed is either a giant piece of shit or completely ignorant of what that would actually mean…
It rarely matters which is right, neither should ever be listened to under any circumstances
darthsundhaft@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Yeah, ‘cause we’re doing so well right now with governments everywhere, right?
darthsundhaft@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Let’s goooooo