Nonviolent Revolution - As IT Relates To Democracy

As It Relates To Democracy

One theory of democracy is that its main purpose is to allow peaceful revolutions. The idea is that majorities voting in elections approximate the result of a coup. In 1962, John F. Kennedy famously said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

Murray Rothbard argues against this theory, pointing out that to more closely approximate such results, it would be necessary to disenfranchise the elderly, women, and those who are otherwise at a physical disadvantage in combat, and to give trained soldiers multiple votes. He also says that such theory, if carried to its logical conclusion, would require making voting more difficult (e.g. by spacing polling places further apart) and eliminating secret ballots, as those who would be deterred by inconvenience or persecution for revealing their support for a candidate would be unlikely to fight for him.

George Lakey in his 1973 book and in his 1976 "A Manifesto for Nonviolent Revolution", laid out a five stage strategy for nonviolent revolution. Stage 1 Cultural Preparation or "Conscientization": Education, training and consciousness raising of why there is a need for a nonviolent revolution and how to conduct a nonviolent revolution. Stage 2.Building Organizations: As training, education and consciousness raising continues, the need to form organizations. Affinity groups or nonviolent revolutionary groups are organized to provide support, maintain nonviolent discipline, organize and train other people into similar affinity groups and networks. Stage 3. Confrontation Organized and sustained campaigns of picketing, strikes, sit-ins, marches, boycotts, die-ins, blockades to disrupt business as usual in institutions and government. By putting ones body on the line nonviolently the rising movement stops the normal gears of government and business. Stage 4. Mass Non Cooperation: Similar affinity groups and networks of affinity groups around the country and world, engage in similar actions to disrupt business as usual. Stage 5. Developing Parallel Institutions to take over functions and services of government and commerce. In order to create a new society without violence, oppression, environmental destruction, discrimination and one that is environmentally sustainable, nonviolent, democratic, equatable tolerant and fair, alternative organizations and structures including businesses must be created to provide the needed services and goods that citizens of a society need.

Gene Sharp, who influenced many in the Arab Spring revolutions, has documented and described over 198 different methods of nonviolent action that nonviolent revolutionaries might use in struggle. He argues that no government or institution can rule without the consent of the governed or oppressed as that is the source of nonviolent power. Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. argued this as well.

References:

Lakey, George.(1973) Strategy For A Living Revolution. Grossman: New York, NY.

Lakey, George. (1976) A Manifesto For Nonviolent Revolution. Training For Change: Philadelphia, PA (http://www.trainingforchange.org/manifesto_for_nv_revolution)

Lakey, George. (2002) Strategizing For A Living Revolution. retrieved on 10/26/2011 from http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/lakeylivrev.html

Sharp, Gene. (1973) The Politics of Nonviolent Action. Porter-Sargent: Boston, MA.