> People who accomplish their political goals through violent means continue to be violent because you're teaching them that its effective.
This sounds like a description of police departments throughout the United States.
> The more you surrender to violent rioters demanding policy change through fire and violence rather than the ballot box, the more you demonstrate that violence is the way to accomplish anything.
The rioters aren't doing that. The rioters are releasing pent-up frustration and anger at a system that abuses them. They're not sending any message other than their own pain.
The organized protesters are making such demands. They're being met with extreme police violence and aggression.
> The outcome of surrendering to violent mobs is to embolden and empower violent mobs. There will be more and worse.
Please actually attend a protest to see how the power dynamics work.
>This sounds like a description of police departments throughout the United States.
No. Racism is bad but not all police are racist (I would guess most aren't) and the violence is not for political purposes.
>The rioters aren't doing that. The rioters are releasing pent-up frustration and anger at a system that abuses them. They're not sending any message other than their own pain.
Disagree. They're burning down businesses, attacking people, threatening them and intimidating them. You can be in pain without attacking others. Once you attack others you're not communicating pain, you're attacking people, and you can expect to receive it in kind when the people you intimidate and threaten communicate their own pain.
>The organized protesters are making such demands. They're being met with extreme police violence and aggression.
yawn
>Please actually attend a protest to see how the power dynamics work.
I have been to protests, but violent riots are not protests, and rewarding violent rioters and defending them is its own power dynamic. The power dynamic right now is heavily on the side of violent rioters and people pushing political violence, and it will lead to even more tragedy.
> No. Racism is bad but not all police are racist (I would guess most aren't) and the violence is not for political purposes.
The police are reacting to a direct political criticism of their legitimacy by hurting, disabling, nearly killing protesters indiscriminately. Of course it's political. They're fighting for their own budgets that are at risk via the political process.
We could discuss of all the fun ways that the police are racist (it is primarily, but not solely, systemic), but I don't think it was really a point of contention.
> Disagree. They're burning down businesses, attacking people, threatening them and intimidating them.
This doesn't contradict anything I said.
> You can be in pain without attacking others. Once you attack others you're not communicating pain, you're attacking people, and you can expect to receive it in kind when the people you intimidate and threaten communicate their own pain.
I hope you never experience the pain and frustration they did, because that is exactly how this kind of systemic abuse is expressed. I highly doubt you've have to see your friends beaten, arrested, killed, mistreated, talked down to constantly, and then watch executions by cops of people like yourself over and over and over again without anyone caring to do anything about it.
This is essentially a form of tone policing long after the damage and horrors have already happened.
> >The organized protesters are making such demands. They're being met with extreme police violence and aggression.
> yawn
I have to wonder what you find boring about extreme police violence and collective punishment happening right in front of you.
> >Please actually attend a protest to see how the power dynamics work.
> I have been to protests
George Floyd protests where the police form a line to block you, then start moving on you?
> but violent riots are not protests, and rewarding violent rioters and defending them is its own power dynamic.
You haven't been to them, so please stop trying to explain the power dynamic to someone who has.
> The power dynamic right now is heavily on the side of violent rioters and people pushing political violence, and it will lead to even more tragedy.
It absolutely is not. Protesters will be beaten, gassed, maimed, and arrested. Cops will get off scot-free regardless of the extreme violences they commit indiscriminately against protesters.
I'll give you an example: I watched a woman get shot with a grenade in her chest. It stopped her heart. She was rushed to the hospital by medics and that's the only reason she lived. Her crime? Standing in the middle of the street yelling protest slogans 20-30 feet away from the cops.
Tell me, what was the power dynamic there? What consequences will any officers face for nearly murdering that woman?
This sounds like a description of police departments throughout the United States.
> The more you surrender to violent rioters demanding policy change through fire and violence rather than the ballot box, the more you demonstrate that violence is the way to accomplish anything.
The rioters aren't doing that. The rioters are releasing pent-up frustration and anger at a system that abuses them. They're not sending any message other than their own pain.
The organized protesters are making such demands. They're being met with extreme police violence and aggression.
> The outcome of surrendering to violent mobs is to embolden and empower violent mobs. There will be more and worse.
Please actually attend a protest to see how the power dynamics work.