I was walking outside with my gf on a pedestrian crossing when a guy on a scooter didn’t feel like breaking and almost hit us when crossing the street. I’m a calm person but at the same time I can feel intense rage with stuff like this and my first thought is to kick the guy off his scooter and beat him to a pulp. This, of course, never happens and I can remain calm. I did a civil fuck you symbol to the guy to get my point across.

I was discussing my rage feelings with my girlfriend and we got into a rather heavy discussion about violence. So, I get called gay a lot because of the way I dress and act sometimes. Especially in my smaller hometown. I said to my gf that I could reach a point where I just beat the next guy calling me gay for being a homophobic shit. She could not agree with me on this and she got mad about it, and we had a debate on using violence (with gay people, minorities and Palestina vs Israel as examples being used). She could follow me on supporting armed resistance in Palestina but she could not accept gay people snapping and beating a homophobic guy, which I can totally understand. Eventually we agreed to disagree, sort of, and we let the topic rest.

Which made me wonder how you guys think about this. Is using violence against injustice acceptable? Is there a certain line for when you can use violence and when not? We socialists fight against injustice, and violence may be a part of that fight somewhere along the line. How should we view the use of violence?

  • @sparkingcircuit
    9•1 year ago

    I’m writing this prior to reading any comments to ensure that the answer I provide is my own without any contamination from our community.

    My views on this have changed a lot over my life, but, these past two or three years, I have, more or less, held this opinion:
    Violence is a tool, an unfortunate tool, but a tool none the less. This tool, while holding great power, also tends to have large repercussions. As such, when possible, one should use this tool only when they believe that it will make a lasting difference.

    For example, violence when used as a tool against an oppressive system of government during a revolution, usually has a green light, (excluding acts of terrorism and the like, which usually just reduces one’s support from the people.) This of course covers self-defense as well. Whereas, picking a fight with a person you disagree with, tends not to be a great idea, (though material conditions very, and sometimes, it may in fact be necessary.)

    In conclusion, violence is a tool, and should be used as such, though only when the material conditions of a situation call for it, as the repercussions of said tool are likely to backfire. A proper analysis of your conditions are necessary. There are always more tools to choose from.