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Maybe Batman was right after all.
5 years ago
In the landmark Graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns an aging Bruce Wayne dons an armored Bat-suit to engage Superman in a final one-on-one fight. In an internal monologue he admonishes Clark Kent with a hard-learned lesson, stating "The world only makes sense when you force it to."
I cringed at the fascistic philosophy Batman was espousing with that line. The writer and artist Frank Miller was expressing his politically conservative views through having Batman act like Dirty Harry. All of Batman's opponents in the tale other than his arch-supervillains are weak liberal strawmen incapable of quelling an inner-city youth gang/army of mutants. Batman alone defeats the gang's leader, and a faction of the former gang re-brand themselves as "Sons of the Batman", enacting brutal vigilante justice on the streets of Gotham City.
A background story of international brinksmanship comes to the fore when a nuclear detonation knocks Gotham and a wide surrounding region into a blackout from the electromagnetic pulse. Panicked by news of the attack, even the well-to-do urban liberals of Gotham City drop their veneer of civilization within minutes and lose their heads in an every-man-for-himself food riot - until Batman shows up with the Sons of the Batman in tow, following his directives of non-lethal tactics to restore order where the authoritative peacekeepers of Gotham were helpless to do so.
If the natural inclination of humanity is to be chaotic, society will act orderly only when forced to.
I approve of peaceful protest and demonstration. I remember a lot of anti-war and disarmament rallies but I don't believe any of them effected the change they aimed for. The wars continued for years and other factors in time brought them to a close. Disarmament happened only because diplomats on both sides found incentives to scale back the stockpiles. Asking nicely, even demanding angrily, en masse, doesn't get the job done.
The current protest calls are in the name of justice, but peaceful protests alone won't bring about a more just society. Violent protests (also described as riots and looting) literally light a fire under society's ass as an incentive to effect the desired change sooner rather than in years long yet to come. I can't approve of violent protest en masse but it's far more likely to get the job done.
But then most ordinary citizens of Gotham City didn't approve of the Batman, but had to acknowledge he was getting the job done.
If the natural inclination of humanity is to be unjust, society will act justly only when you force it to.
I cringed at the fascistic philosophy Batman was espousing with that line. The writer and artist Frank Miller was expressing his politically conservative views through having Batman act like Dirty Harry. All of Batman's opponents in the tale other than his arch-supervillains are weak liberal strawmen incapable of quelling an inner-city youth gang/army of mutants. Batman alone defeats the gang's leader, and a faction of the former gang re-brand themselves as "Sons of the Batman", enacting brutal vigilante justice on the streets of Gotham City.
A background story of international brinksmanship comes to the fore when a nuclear detonation knocks Gotham and a wide surrounding region into a blackout from the electromagnetic pulse. Panicked by news of the attack, even the well-to-do urban liberals of Gotham City drop their veneer of civilization within minutes and lose their heads in an every-man-for-himself food riot - until Batman shows up with the Sons of the Batman in tow, following his directives of non-lethal tactics to restore order where the authoritative peacekeepers of Gotham were helpless to do so.
If the natural inclination of humanity is to be chaotic, society will act orderly only when forced to.
I approve of peaceful protest and demonstration. I remember a lot of anti-war and disarmament rallies but I don't believe any of them effected the change they aimed for. The wars continued for years and other factors in time brought them to a close. Disarmament happened only because diplomats on both sides found incentives to scale back the stockpiles. Asking nicely, even demanding angrily, en masse, doesn't get the job done.
The current protest calls are in the name of justice, but peaceful protests alone won't bring about a more just society. Violent protests (also described as riots and looting) literally light a fire under society's ass as an incentive to effect the desired change sooner rather than in years long yet to come. I can't approve of violent protest en masse but it's far more likely to get the job done.
But then most ordinary citizens of Gotham City didn't approve of the Batman, but had to acknowledge he was getting the job done.
If the natural inclination of humanity is to be unjust, society will act justly only when you force it to.
There is not just the erosion of freedom, an erosion of comfort is also possible.
One example I know first hand is Germany's health care. It's quite good, no question, but what few seem to remember is that it was much better 40 years ago.
You may live a comfortable life, but compared to what? The average population? To people without jobs? Or to the past? Not to mention the question if it's not possible to have a better life?
Yes, things usually only change if you force them, but what does that mean? I'm asking, because most people are quick to literally take up arms to use force, but does anyone ever consider all the alternatives?
For one example, I recommend the movie 'Ghandi'. Not because of the obvious parts that everyone knows, but because you can use pacifism and add strategy and tactics and this movie shows that rather well.
Another was in the 80's in Germany when there were a lot of large peaceful protests, but the police was ready with riot gear and water throwers. And a few people that wanted to incite violence inserted themselves into the protestors and started throwing stones. The police reacted accordingly. After that happened a few times the protestors learned. As soon as a stone thrower put on his mask, the protestors forced him in front of the protest line. The police also got that not all the protestors were violent, but how to identify them? Having a masked guy with stones in his pockets delivered like this? A godsend.
We live in the 21st century. You can have T-Shirts and baseball caps made, you can make an online campaign and set gears in motion that it spills to the mainstream media. You can have your own reporters and so on.
However there is one thing that is you need. Unity. You need a clear goal everyone sticks to. You can't just demand change, you need to demand the exact changes you want, because
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."
Benjamin Franklin
Defunding the police is an easy slogan and we all know it won't work.
The way I heard it, the police in the US has a large budget for military-like equipment?
I can't speak for the USA, but our basic armed beat cop gets 30 months of training. A lot of it is knowing the laws, de-escalation and how to avoid the use of firearms. Given, we only have very few firearms around, but that training combined with bullet proof vests could help in the US?
Considering these huge police budgets the training and change in equipment should be possible?
Add that cops that break the law will be prosecuted like everyone else?
You are a cop and don't want to go to jail were everyone hates you? Don't break the law.
BTW, I'm not saying that this is the solution (people demanding changes have to come up with their own). It's just thought as an example.
Take a few realistic goals like 'better police training' and 'cops being held accountable' and get people behind them. Organize crowdfunding so you can have T-Shirts and baseball caps made to give them away for free and so on.
And if there is another group that (again, just an example) demands healthcare for all? Don't see them as competition. Organize a protest together and have people with baseball caps and T-Shirts of both groups mix.
Lastly, don't stop until changes were actually made.
Again, not saying this is the the way to go. I'm just saying people should take into account all the different ways you can apply force.
Be careful that the fire you used to clear away the dry brush to start a new homestead doesn't become that one that burns down all your homes later!