this post was submitted on 13 May 2024
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Anarchism
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Like, I get the point, but if you are too much of a coward to put your face with the cause, I am automatically assuming you don’t really care and just want the attention
Or maybe you just don't want to be identified by bad actors who can and will doxx you?
Maybe, but it just shows that you don’t think the issue is worth a full measure, just a half one
Not wanting your family to get murdered by fascists is a half measure?
Do you see a lot of that happening?
Now if we’re talking about dictatorships and shit then yeah, and I absolutely Americanized this because of the college campus protests, so I retract my statement for everywhere but America.
Mea culpa
Have you not seen the extreme rise of violence from the right in the past decade??
Yes. Though I am from the authoritarian state. But I wouldn't say the US is that much different. Sure they might not murder you outright, but they can and will make your life at least a little more miserable
How is it a half measure? Not everyone can (or should) be a symbol
You could post your legal name and other socials on here... It would do nothing to make you more convincing imo. But by that logic, not doing so is a half measure
It is
But with a mask on and no phone pics, how are you going to get that attention?
The mass of people chanting and holding signs is usually enough to draw the required attention. That's kinda the point.
I thought the commentor meant the OP pic person was doing it for personal attention. Not attention for a cause.
Wait, I think I misunderstood you.
Maybe attention isn’t the right word, basically I feel like you don’t actually support the cause, you just want to pretend you do.
The people who actually care are willing to take those punishments and the sheer fact that they are willing to do so is what shows they care.
Not showing yourself, shows a lack of dedication to your cause, you aren’t willing to sacrifice, other than some time, you won’t have any permanent consequences.
It’s a “put your money where your mouth is thing.”
They want to pretend they care to make themselves feel like they are doing something, but not sign their name for the cause.
I mean, if they arrest you that impedes your ability to continue protesting. There are reasons other than a lack of dedication to keep your identity protected.
The fact that you aren’t willing to take that hit shows a lack of belief in the importance of the cause.
Obviously it matters to you, a little at least and for various different reasons, because you are out there, but the people that really care about their causes are full in their support of them.
It’s like how so many people say they support something, but aren’t willing to sign their name to the petition.
No, anarchists don't force others to take arrest risks they're not willing to. Everyone has their own tolerances and they can support the cause in their own way. Stop trying to pressure people.
Fair enough, I’m not trying to pressure anyone though.
I mean, if you're out there at all you're risking taking a hit (quite literally). Like, when you go to one of these protests you could be slammed to the ground, tear gassed, shot, or arrested. If you're willing to risk that I'd say you're pretty dedicated.
I think it's reasonable, even tactically advantageous to keep your identity protected. You're never going to accomplish much with one protest, and if everyone gets arrested on bullshit charges after the first one it's much harder to organize a second one.
They accomplished an awful lot, marching without masks in the 60’s and 70’s.
They bear the scars now too, but damn if you can’t say they didn’t get results.
Hell they were beaten, shot, water cannoned, even straight up gunned down a couple times
I mean, yeah. You can accomplish a lot with your face exposed too. You can always risk more. But these things don't have to be all or nothing like that.
Agreed, I said I would believe they care less in their cause, not not at all
there's a difference between being willing to take an arrest and getting arrested for something stupid. that's like saying that the point of an army is being willing to die for your country, so the best and bravest are the ones who enlist and then immediately commit suicide. be willing to take a hit, but be strategic about the hits you take and avoid taking a hit for no good reason. it's about getting the thing done, not proving that you're super legit.
I’ve said what I have to say about this.
People can agree or not, I do hope you have a great day though!
What's the point of putting yourself at risk for no tangible benefit?
The tangible benefit is getting more normies like me to join your cause.
That’s the point of the protest isn’t it?
Is the possibility of winning you over worth removing someone who is already actively involved? Are you more likely to join a protest if the risks and consequences you face are higher? What about all the people who have already been arrested for protesting recently - has that motivated you to get out and join them?
The fact is that tons of people, especially in the US, love to sit on the sidelines critiquing every protest for whatever arbitrary reason and will insist that they'd be won over if only they did something differently. But then, if they do things differently, they'll just find another reason to complain, because that's all they actually care to do.
I've never understood this prevailing viewpoint you expressed that protests are meant to get more people to join a cause. The point of a protest is to assert disruptive force and to threaten to assert further force. If you see a group of people gathered together doing stuff and happen to think it's cool for whatever reason, cool, sure, whatever. But it's not about you. Protests are not candidates that you decide whether to vote for or not. The point is to communicate to those in power, "We have to capability to get this many people out and organized, and we are going to be a pain in your ass until you give into our demands."
Not at all
I mean yeah, but (at least in the US) cops have a habit of trampling your rights to protest. Even if you did nothing illegal they can (and will) still harass you after the fact for bullshit, made-up reasons.
They'll assault you in the moment too, but protecting your identity won't protect you from that.
Agreed
the attention you won't get because your identity is not known?
Hmm, I hadn't thought about it that way, NOIWONTPICKANAME.
I guess you don't really care about this comment either, then, and are just doing it for attention.
It’s literally the only benefit, I get attention for what I say directly attached to how much effort and show I put out.
I also expect that if I had put my name to it, it would indeed show my dedication.
That’s why I sign petitions with my real name and this shit with my funny name.
That and I really like funny usernames, they make me happy, and I assume they do others as well.
I haven’t told anyone how to protest, I merely told you what I thought about the ones that don’t show their faces
CaaB
Cowardace as a Benefit
This is privilege talking, you should read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.
Blah blah blah. You can’t throw the word privilege around for everything.
Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of it, but the poor and rich, white and black all bonded together unmasked before.
Maybe attention isn’t the right word, basically I feel like you don’t actually support the cause, you just want to pretend you do.
The people who actually care are willing to take those punishments and the sheer fact that they are willing to do so is what shows they care.
Not showing yourself, shows a lack of dedication to your cause, you aren’t willing to sacrifice, other than some time, you won’t have any permanent consequences.
It’s a “put your money where your mouth is thing.”
They want to pretend they care to make themselves feel like they are doing something, but not sign their name for the cause.
There's actually an old anti-kkk law in Ohio they've been talking about still enforcing, it says if three or more people commit a misdemeanor together while concealing their identity it becomes a felony. It would be interesting to see how that played out in court today.