General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Dear America - I weep for you [View all]sofa king
(10,857 posts)As a person who has studied history his whole life, none of this is particularly new to me, and that makes it all the more tragic. These are the things I think I know:
* Both the violence of the state and the violence against the state naturally increases with the perceived gap between the poor and the wealthy.
* The well-publicized violence of this week is an escalation exactly like that which touched off the ongoing violence in Syria. We are no different from they in all important respects. The process has a "logic" to it which is simple and brutal, and once triggered it requires a collective effort from all sides to stop it in its tracks. We must succeed in doing this, or lose everything.
* We all have a choice, right now, in the things we say and do. We all either contribute to the problem or help solve it. Those who do nothing are automatically siding with the forces that eventually win, usually with violence and oppression if people of conscience fail to intercede and moderate.
* The only way to ratchet things down is to go forth, be a good person to others, and try to be unafraid. The vast majority of people are good people who are worth knowing, and knowing them reduces misunderstanding and violence. Go out and make friends, right now.