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At what point is violence on a large scale justified? (lemm.ee)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

53 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I know this is a really vague question, but it’s been on my mind A LOT lately. I’m specifically asking about people fighting on behalf of a group that is subject to oppression of some kind. 3 years ago, with all of the protests in America that included violence majorly against property and minorly against people but were about police brutality, I couldn’t help but question the seemingly popular notion that the violence wasn’t justified. Why wasn’t it justified? Because the police had not officially declared war on black people and other minority groups, but instead continue as an authority figure to protect and uplift their own members who do punch down on people belonging to minority groups? Because the protesters had yet to exhaust their non-violent routes? Were these protests in 2020 a retaliation or a first strike? Even if they were a first strike, was it justified?

What about Hamas? Palestine has suffered from genocide in all but name for over 70 years so does that make Hamas the aggressor or are they the ones acting in self-defense?

What about the issues with income inequality that have previously around the world led to uprisings and revolutions like in France and Russia? Were they justified even though the poor were not being constantly physically oppressed?

What about the issues with representation in government that led to the American revolution? Did those justify violence? Was the American revolution justified simply because of violent moments like the Boston massacre?

Is there a line that a group in power crosses that justifies violent revolt, or is it never justified?

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Violence against aggressors can be justified if you're not escalating something to new levels, but violence against random people is never justified.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

This is the correct answer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Exactly. The numerous rapes and kidnappings are absolutely not called for, nor justified, ever. These are innocent civilians being pulled into a larger conflict. That is the worst part of war - even innocent people suffer, instead of it being a private conflict between whatever groups.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Exactly. The numerous rapes and kidnappings are absolutely not called for, nor justified, ever. These are innocent ~~civilians~~ settlers, many of whom are reservists in the oppressors armed forces, being pulled into a ~~larger~~ ongoing and extremely one-sided conflict. That is the worst part of war - ~~even innocent people suffer, instead of it being a private conflict between whatever groups~~ I am forced to acknowledge the ongoing support the first world has provided to an apartheid state and I don't like being confronted with the consequences of decades of oppression.

Fixed that for you.