Non-Violent Revolution: How We Do It

**Brother of Yeshua** · #1 (**permalink**) 11-14-2007, 11:37 PM

So it came up in another thread that there are ways to revolt that don't involve violence,

So what can we do as individuals?

I honestly haven't a clue as to how to overturn this thing other than not buying into it and educating others and hoping they do the same.

What can the citizens of America do?

Static · 11-15-2007, 12:19 AM

Yeah, the biggest thing is for people to understand that trying to revolt against the government with brute force is impossible at this time, they spend billions of dollars on defense a year, and our military is definently one of the best in the world. If it came down to it, there is no way we as average people would win, so it wouldn't be a smart move. The only way to do it I think would be something like Martin Luther King did, totally peaceful, even as he was getting beaten at the marches the dude didn't stoop to that level, and he stayed calm, and look what it did, that one guy pretty much changed history. People think it's impossible to do that just because it takes more time. But if you get alot of people on your side, that's a lot of force...

yossarian · 11-15-2007, 07:07 AM

We could start a REVOLUTION by:

DANCE DANCING!!!

YouTube - One legged DDR

**Opunaya** · 11-15-2007, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Static

Yeah, the biggest thing is for people to understand that trying to revolt against the government with brute force is impossible at this time, they spend billions of dollars on defense a year, and our military is definently one of the best in the world. If it came down to it, there is no way we as average people would win, so it wouldn't be a smart move. The only way to do it I think would be something like Martin Luther King did, totally peaceful, even as he was getting beaten at the marches the dude didn't stoop to that level, and he stayed calm, and look what it did, that one guy pretty much changed history. People think it's impossible to do that just because it takes more time. But if you get alot of people on your side, that's a lot of force...

Like I said before, we need a central figurehead like Dr. King to inspire and rally the people, if you want to affect change, you're going to need more than a few dozen protesters, you'll need a hundred-thousand strong, at the very least.

Ol' Patty · 11-15-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brother of Yeshua

I honestly haven't a clue as to how to overturn this thing other than not buying into it and educating others and hoping they do the same.

What can the citizens of America do?

I think that is the most effective measure. It's as simple as educating people.

**Opunaya** · 11-15-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol' Patty

I think that is the most effective measure. It's as simple as educating people.

...That's an oxymoron, right?

RATSOADM · 11-15-2007, 01:47 PM

We've just got to get everyone to Vote for Ron Paul

4n7hr4x · 11-18-2007, 09:17 AM

Well if anyone out there is still gullible enough to believe that voting for someone else will help our situation you have to realize it would be a futile exercise, as voting is simply the illusion of some form of power that is given to the masses to keep them quite and satisfied.

Secondly you have to understand that this country is way beyond repair, the laws on every level and everything has been setup to easily allow corruption so that the rich can do whatever they want. We need to start from scratch, there is no other way, if we remove the people in power now they will just be replaced by others as bad or worse.

As for the question of how to revolt, its quite simple. The government tells you what to do, and you're supposed to listen... well just don't listen anymore.

The best thing to do would be to shake up the economy a little, stir things up and make life difficult for them. If everyone started withdrawing all of their money out of their bank accounts, that would certainly be devastating beyond belief, in fact I'm sure it would by itself be enough to throw the country into another great depression, given the current state of things.

Another thing that you have to remember is that while the government may have the greatest military in the world, it is still a military comprised entirely of the very people that are trying to overthrow this government. And while the basic principles of human behavior state that if you put people in a position of authority they will abuse it and will do things to others that would otherwise be perceived as cruel and evil (i.e. Stanford Prison Experiment). This however would be influenced by the level of brainwashing the soldiers have gone through (i.e. If given the order to kill a mother and her child by a superior officer, how long if at all will they think about the morality on the matter and if at all they will follow through with the order.), and then the other question is how educated is the soldier, less educated soldiers are more likely to look at things in a very short sighted manner, (i.e. "I;m just doing my job and I MUST do what I am told") while better educated soldiers would look deeper into it, (i.e. "I'm just doing my job and I know I must do it, but it requires me to kill/abuse/oppress my own people.")

Estefanina · 11-18-2007, 11:13 AM

at 4n7hr4x:

I don't think voting is completely futile yet. I think the system of voting has become corrupted by people in power (like what was done in Florida, and was it Ohio?), but it's still an option. Maybe we'll have to go a little crazy if our polling places are compromised again, but I'm all for voting.

You're suggesting we push our economy further into the ground? What happens when we have to dig ourselves out? And what is this magical new government that is going to come to power once we've rid ourselves of the current administration? Who leads it? How will it work for me?

We need a PLAN if we're going to overthrow, like you seem to be suggesting. And we have lots of educated soliders who don't like what's going on in Iraq (and the 'States for that matter), but also probably know that if they were to perform a coup, our country would be in chaos.

What happens when you take the apathetic American masses and tell them the government's been overthrown? My guess: They start looting, shooting, and setting fires. Why not expect the worst?

I still believe in the constitution. I think many laws and amendments should maybe be repealed, but that's not entirely up to me. That's up to someone who is more educated on our government set-up than I am.

Lets keep it peaceful. Lets keep informed. And for goodness sake, let us not try to pull an arm of the United States armed forces to overthrow the government with guns.

Blech. That's my two cents.

WillyBubba · 11-18-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Secondly you have to understand that this country is way beyond repair, the laws on every level and everything has been setup to easily allow corruption so that the rich can do whatever they want. We need to start from scratch, there is no other way, if we remove the people in power now they will just be replaced by others as bad or worse.

If that, as well as your first statement, is true, then there is no hope for a free society. Laws can be repealed, just as can years of wrong doing and precedent with even the election of just one man. Police action was not the way of the military just fifty years ago, but the actions of a single man, Truman, have turned it into the preferred method to subjugate and rape our Constitution. I firmly believe that a man like Ron Paul could fix this horrid precedent and re-establish the Constitutional obligation of Congress having sole power to declare war.

Finally, military revolt is one of the most dangerous things one can do. the odds of success are small, the state of our country afterwards would be horrid, and throwing all your power into a military in the hopes that the generals who overthrew this government won't decide to remain in power is fundamentally unsound. Also, the 'revolt' of our Founding Fathers and what we would be doing in this instance is fundamentally different in that many Americans were beginning to see that they were running things on their own and the taxes were just lip service to a King who didn't care or do anything for them. Despite how badly people are able to abuse our current system (which is a direct result of people being passionate and uneducated) I have faith that it is morally, philosophically and practically favorable to anything else.

The system is not broken, just abused. Working outside of the system you propose to 'fix' can do no good for said system. We must lead by setting the example of how it can and should work.