24-11-2021, 01:43 PM
(24-11-2021, 09:21 AM)reigns Wrote: "Peaceful protest" demands seem to ignore that significant change in history has come from violent struggle; the French Revolution, Civil Rights movement in the US (when thinking of Black Panthers fighting against police brutality in black neighbourhoods), the American Civil War, workers strikes in the 1800s to better working conditions, etc.
2 million people peacefully marched against a new extradition law in Hong Kong and the Government ignored it. 2 million. So the protesting turned dangerous and violent and, if it had not been for COVID putting the breaks on things, there was no sign that things were going to get better.
There seems to be a terrible fault in our species, in that we'll exploit others for our own gain rather than comprehending that improving things for everyone also benefits us all in the long term. Samuel Parnell founded the 8 hour day here, the idea being no one should work more than 8 hours each day, which left 8 for leisure/education & 8 for sleep.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/samuel-parnell
That lasted a while, but then some of us got greedy. I really wonder sometimes at the idiocy of humans - but also at our ingenuity.
in order to be old & wise, you must first be young & stupid. (I'm still working on that.)