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Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor
9th June 2009, 08:16
Communist philosophy illuminates the wage slavery in modern society. When confronted with this information, the capitalist denies the existence of such theft or, in other cases, openly mocks the worker. The worker lacks the ability or will to do anything about their mistreatment, and the capitalist realizes this fact. They do not feel threatened.

If we demand our rights, through revolutionary action, we realize that we will ultimately be compelled to violence to achieve our goals. However, this violence will ultimately be responsive.

Does this change the moral implications of our choice? Consider other circumstances. A wealthy individual cheats you. All realistic mechanisms of reacquiring your wealth are taken away. You will be jailed unless you actively kill him and dispose of the body. How much was wealth he stole, a relatively low amount, worth a response? We certainly can't expect you to sit in jail on a principle of nonviolence, can we?

That being said. What gives us the moral legitimacy, those of us in well off nations, to act against capitalism. We know they will ultimately choose to protect their wealth through violence. We can avoid violence, respect their life, and simply suffer. This seems ridiculous.

I am not sure how to spell out a response to this idea. I think there is one. I am also rather confused. If someone stole a dollar from you, and they did it out of greed, could you kill them if only that means would allow you to reacquire that dollar? I would like to think not unless you were starving.

Are we really starving, suffering, et cetera, enough? Will they ultimately respond because of greed or ignorance? Most rich people seem to be legitimately ignorant and see no exploitation occurring. Or is this false?

mikelepore
9th June 2009, 10:58
Violence is to be avoided, because the need for violence can only means that the majority of the working class isn't yet recruited, and if the majority isn't yet recruited then you have no right to force anything on them, you couldn't succeed in producing a change even if you did have the right to do so, and even if you could succeed in producing a change then it would only turn into another form of oppression.

Wait for the people. Always wait for the people.

***

"Do not, on your life, organize first and educate afterwards. Educate first and organize afterwards." -- Daniel De Leon

Lynx
9th June 2009, 11:25
Individual acts of violence are treated differently and are subject to mitigating circumstances. Violence that is a result of social unrest is a mitigating circumstance. In addition, those who carry out political violence are sometimes mollified with offers of amnesty.
If you live in a country that justifies itself with democracy and the rule of law, it is implicit as to which forms of protest are allowed and which are not.