I think anyone who reads the blog probably knows what I'm going to say, but: Calling in elements of the military to deal with civil protest and civil unrest is a bad idea that is likely to lead to more violence, not less. 1/16
Näytä tämä ketju
-
Whereas: - If you come to a red light, and stop at the light because there is an cop car there, that's force (distinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I8kic8xZh8 … ) - But normally, you come to a red light, there is no one in view anywhere and stop anyway, because that's just what you do... 6/16
Näytä tämä ketju
...that is power. Power arises out of legitimacy, it arises out of cultural norms, it arises out of reciprocity with authority. Foolish leaders mistake violence for a kind of power - this is Arendt's key point. They think more violence=more power... 7/16
-
-
...but that's wrong. Where you have power, you don't need violence. And where you use violence *you*don't*have*power.* The very *use* of violence erodes power, because it strikes at the legitimacy that power arises from. 8/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
The President routinely mistakes violence for power in this way. He is suggesting that he can use the military - which trades in violence, rather than power - to restore order. And sure, the military can clear the streets. It will be ugly, it will cause damage...9/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
...but they can do it. But the military cannot reestablish *power* - they cannot restore legitimacy. Negotiation can do that. Compromise can do that. Community leaders can do that. Elected officials standing together can do that. 10/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
A country can hold another country by force, if they have enough of it. That's what empire is. Clever empires convert that into power as quickly as possible - the Romans did it by co-opting local elites, using their legitimacy as the foundation of Roman power. 11/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
But no country can hold *itself* by force, or through violence for very long. Because the country is the base that generates the force. Even tyrants and dictators have to establish legitimacy and power; they put lots of effort into it. 12/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
And let's be clear, this isn't a two-Americas thing; there are protests in every state in the nation. The mask has been torn off the eyes of a lot of people who didn't know or didn't want to know what was done in their name and they are angry. That bell cannot be un-rung. 13/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
Things may calm down for a moment. But unless the government reestablishes power - which you cannot do with tear-gar and batons - through legitimacy and legitimacy through **justice**, we're just going to be back here again, and sooner than you'd think... 14/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
So this isn't a moment for tough-talk and bravado. It's a moment for listening, compassion and negotiation. And unfortunately, I think we all know that is a kind of leadership that the president is both unable and unwilling to perform. 15/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
We're going to get to choose new leaders soon. Be looking out, locally and nationally - which of your representatives saw this as a moment to restore legitimacy and show leadership? Who saw this as an opportunity to wield violence? And choose accordingly. 16/16
Näytä tämä ketju -
And to my representatives -
@RepDavidEPrice ,@ThomTillis ,@SenatorBurr ,@NC_Governor ,@verlainsko ,@FousheeforNC - I hope you are listening. We're watching the kind of leadership you show.Näytä tämä ketju
Keskustelun loppu
Uusi keskustelu -
Lataaminen näyttää kestävän hetken.
Twitter saattaa olla ruuhkautunut tai ongelma on muuten hetkellinen. Yritä uudelleen tai käy Twitterin tilasivulla saadaksesi lisätietoja.