>----
>Well, actually, "hysterical" is a euphemism for "meaningless female
>acting out."
>
>Joanna
It is. But even as a vague assertion that people are over-reacting without cause to the use of violence it is offensive to both male and female.
I don't think people are over-reacting, as I see it there are just sensible people who can see the danger in taking up arms (employing violent strategies) against the state and the ruling class. And a minority who want a shooting war which they expect to lose.
But I disagree that the violent few are simply hormonal youth mindlessly acting out. That is entirely too charitable an interpretation. I think They have a rational strategy to achieve their objectives.
Unfortunately they have different objectives to the majority of the movement.
The people cautioning against violence are anxious to avoid alienating the majority of the population, for fear that this would permit the state to use its overwhelmingly superior potential for violence to suppress them. They want to gain the support of the majority of the population for their objectives
The advocates of violence are anxious to provoke the state to use violence against them. They reason that this will radicalise the other protestors, swelling the Black Bloc tendency. That it will actually undermine the left as a whole does not bother them, because they don't care or expect to ever be victorious.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas