4 ms·

Explain hunger strikes.

• dqpb 8y ago
  Hunger strikes are a form of protest to affect social or political change. Social and political issues are often slow, endemic, and creeping. Cleverly, hunger strikes transform these issues into something that is visual, easily empathized with, and quickly escalating. Indeed, this illustrates quite well that physiological needs are the most important needs - if they were't, then they couldn't serve as a tool to escalate the stakes of the protest. If spiritual needs were more important, you would have spirit strikes instead of hunger strikes.
  • 1000units 8y ago
    What does a hunger strike make happen in people's heads that compels them? Do they think "Oh, these poor strikers will starve to death, and that is too terrible to allow." or "This striker's conviction is genuine and powerful, I should listen and be receptive to what he has to say." It is the content of their souls that allows them to do what they do and this recognition that makes their demonstration compelling. By the way, spirit strikes are very much a thing, and they are far uglier than hunger strikes.