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Because in Europe, we exercise our right of protest often and we get results often. So there is high confidence in our ability to make an unpopular government r
by lumberjack 10y ago
Because in Europe, we exercise our right of protest often and we get results often. So there is high confidence in our ability to make an unpopular government resign.
In the US, protesting doesn't work.
- herbst 10y agoCan't believe this is not higher up. Some countries in Europe have a working democracy that involves people into decisions and allows to successfully protest against them as well. Obviously there is less need for paranoia
- briandear 10y agoThe problem with protesting-based government is that the loudest and most violent are prioritized over the interests of people who aren't loud or violent. Case in point: farmers hijacking and spilling Spanish wine on the road get 'heard' while the normal consumer who wants lower priced wine doesn't get heard. So a loud violent consortium of 500 French winemakers achieve legislative priority over millions of people who are harmed by protectionism but aren't harmed enough to walk out of their jobs to burn tires. Bolsheviks were a tiny minority in pre-Soviet Russia but since they had violence and "protest" on their side, they got to own Russia for 70 years. Nazis were a tiny minority as well and through their 'protest,' they took control of Germany. I don't trust protest as a means for political change. There's a dangerous concept when 1000 people throwing rocks can make decisions for 80 million who aren't out in the streets. That isn't democracy, that's a lynch mob.
- NoGravitas 10y agoWell, those 80 million ought to get out in the streets, oughtn't they?
- briandear 10y agoOr perhaps vote?