I did, in the comment that this thread is replying to.

https://crazypeople.online/comment/11884955

The goals are to put pressure on the government by causing disruption, which is not necessarily done with the matches/riots but with other acts.

Speaking in general, the french tend to do rallies and protests in combination with strikes. So the protest is to draw attention to the strike or is populated by the strikers and their supporters. It is the strike that applies pressure. Occupying some area that disrupts normal business is another common tactic.

The yellow vest movement blocked roads and fuel depots, which was a direct action to disrupt access to fuel and the movement of vehicles. Their (initial) grievance was high fuel costs. They also organized to block tollbooths on 20 roads and blocked airport runways, all disrupting commerce.

With the current student protests occupations (sit ins), walk outs and blockages are being used. These are paired with teach-ins and more theatrical type street demonstrations to raise awareness.

In contrast, a protest like the No Kings protests are (generally) not taking people away from their jobs and are in pre approved routes and locations which cause minimal disruption to the daily lives of others and the function of the state.

This is what I mean when I say it’s important to look closely at why these movements are successful. Rolling walkouts or strikes wouldn’t necessarily attract violence from the state but would disrupt the systems that allow the state to continue doing what they are doing.

Oh, I see.

I don’t think the US can be said to be exerting imperialist power over the Chinese though. China is probably the place least vulnerable to the US trade sanctions, for example.

Imperialism is the export of capital and the import of resources, profit from capital and labour.

I think you might be misunderstanding my comments or maybe I’m misunderstanding yours because I am very lost.

I added the “protests aren’t totally useless” thing as a way to combat defensiveness after I replied to the top level comment comparing recent US protests (such as No Kings) to the protests shown in the meme. It’s absurd to compare the two, and not because of the violence that occurs at them. The reason the type of action shown in the image can be impactful is because there have specific goals and targets in contrast to what amount to an awareness campaign or parade.

I mean this in the least antagonist way possible: I don’t think anything I said excludes fighting tyranny.

Lol

But a genuine comment because people think I’m a big meanie:

It’s helpful to know that folks aren’t alone and also helpful for orgs who are already doing things to improve the material conditions of their community to get some publicity and maybe some new helping hands.

Maybe then america will realize they have power, and the revolution might not be exactly the same as their last one

I see. So when I tell someone if they aren’t doing the thing in the meme the meme isn’t about them I will also add “and that’s why you are such a good person”.

Deal, but only if we get a chapter on why shame and revenge are poison and how lessons from prison abolitionists can help them be even gooder people.

I’m not sure the connection? (Genuine)

How would americans like to receive criticism

defensiveness is a trap

Are those individuals the ones who are lazy and didn’t do anything, or are you using them as a shield?

Please show this meme to the people of Minnesota, Rene Goode’s family, Alex Pretti’s family, that kid who lost his eye, and the people who are following ICE around daily to prevent them from kidnapping people.

This meme isn’t about them and it’s incredible that this is your argument.

You are wage slaves who have a higher standard of living than the other wage slaves that are exploited in order to enable the availability of cheap consumer goods which keep the people docile.

This is about the English (and written in 1882) but now also applies to the USA:

Engels wrote: “You ask me what the English workers think about colonial policy. Well, exactly the same as they think about politics in general. There is no workers’ party here, there are only Conservatives and Liberal-Radicals, and the workers gaily share the feast of England’s monopoly of the world market and the colonies.”

This is an expert from Lenin: Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism which I think should be read prior to Settlers if only to disarm the reader from defensiveness. Sakai didn’t invent the idea of the bourgeoisie proletariat, he was building on the ideas of others.

Protests are not the only option, but when asked why Americans are not making meaningful resistance the argument always boils down to: We have protests! Or We can’t protest!

Perhaps the most cursory look at why these actions are successful in different countries is worth a gander. It’s not that France couldn’t crush every protest with their military.

If you go your whole life hearing it’s your god given right to have all the privilege and comfort you have (which is still a pittance in comparison to the rich but more than the people exploited to provide cheap goods) it’s hard to risk them.

And did what? They didn’t disrupt anything. Parades on weekends are good for raising awareness, I’m not going to say they are useless. But they are fundamentally different from the other examples given.