Thanks Titus, great to meet! I will share this if you don't mind in a forthcoming Stack. Best wishes and see you soon (just not in the UK, preferably!)
My advice to the Brits: time to crack open the more strategic writings of King and Bayard Rustin, and others in the SCLC, on non-violent civil disobedience. As I've argued, one can reject all of the dogmatic pacifism, and adjust strategy and demands to the present situation. The key thing is to stand firmly against vague rhetoric and violence-inviting organization patterns, to set one's movement firmly against the use or threat of on-offense violence in democratic politics. Violence must be strictly reserved for actual revolution or self-defense. Goodwin's piece is excellent, but movement leaders and conservative allies should make sure they do not fall into a pattern of leaving the key initiative to the street, to the moment, and to the violence-inclined. Until the needed organization needed kicks in, leaders and writers must make sure that whenever they speak on this, they are talking non-violent action at a ratio of 2-to-1 over talking "what did you expect?" and describing the corruption and hatred of the elites.
Thanks Titus, great to meet! I will share this if you don't mind in a forthcoming Stack. Best wishes and see you soon (just not in the UK, preferably!)
Share away -- people should know, you deserve plaudits!
My advice to the Brits: time to crack open the more strategic writings of King and Bayard Rustin, and others in the SCLC, on non-violent civil disobedience. As I've argued, one can reject all of the dogmatic pacifism, and adjust strategy and demands to the present situation. The key thing is to stand firmly against vague rhetoric and violence-inviting organization patterns, to set one's movement firmly against the use or threat of on-offense violence in democratic politics. Violence must be strictly reserved for actual revolution or self-defense. Goodwin's piece is excellent, but movement leaders and conservative allies should make sure they do not fall into a pattern of leaving the key initiative to the street, to the moment, and to the violence-inclined. Until the needed organization needed kicks in, leaders and writers must make sure that whenever they speak on this, they are talking non-violent action at a ratio of 2-to-1 over talking "what did you expect?" and describing the corruption and hatred of the elites.
Self-defense can include violent measures to defend protest groups from violent counter-protestors.