Kinda trying to piece some ideas together here. If there’s theory on this, please send it.
For example, the George Floyd protests were very violent by U.S. standards but we never got to the point of, say, a massacre on the White House lawn. Instead, it was mostly tear gas, police brutality, and the media apparatus quickly countering with propaganda.
If a movement can’t be taken down with propaganda (i.e.; :vote: and it will all go away), then the state will need to use more brutal force to maintain itself, correct?
The US is the global hegemon, it dominates the world militarily, economically and culturally. That’s why the US State can allow a higher level of freeze peach and academic freedoms (Chomsky boner), there really is no genuine threat internally or foreign that could bring down the US State. Every big budget Hollywood hit pretty much ensures the US cultural global dominance. That’s why its ridiculous when libs and anarchists bitch when a country in the cross hairs of US imperialism does not allow the level of freeze speech as they want. The playing field is so unbalanced in favor of the US State.
It’s not just the strengthbof the government, a weak government can supress revolutionary movements easily if material conditions aren’t heightened.
But in times of massive crisis and good revolutionary organisation, yes, your statement holds.
I think it’s a good model to say that the government suppresses revolutionary movements with a combination of propaganda and violence. The better the propaganda, the less violence is needed. The stronger the movements, the more violence (or propaganda) is needed.
Yes, and this is why attacking the legitimacy of a government is so effective. Don’t discount the Floyd protests, they permanently discredited the US government in the eyes of a lot of people who had never considered it before. Cities burned, never forget this. There was an autonomous collective in Seattle. A lot of really good things happened that can never be undone.
Yes. The less legitimacy a state has, the more bodies it’ll pile up. Look at all the atrocities in countries that had big rev movements; and/or look at all the atrocities states do when “expanding”.
