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Did you read any political news between the 19th century and today in so-called "civilized western societies"? French and American history are filled with gove
by southerntofu 7y ago
Did you read any political news between the 19th century and today in so-called "civilized western societies"?
French and American history are filled with government-sponsored and industry-sponsored militias murdering workers on strike or angry protesters.
In the USA, take a look at the "goon squads" targeted at indigenous communities and their modern equivalent deployed at Standing Rock. Or the FBI's COINTELPRO and government-sanctioned murder of many militants from the Black Panther and other revolutionary organizations. Or the attack on the MOVE movement when police killed 11 people (including 5 children) and destroyed dozens of house from the neighborhood.
In mainland France, such actions are usually carried out by the state apparatus, not private militias because owning and carrying guns is mostly illegal (except for hunting, with a license). Still, when the establishment in France was threatened during May 68 protests, De Gaulle called his private counter-revolutionary militia (Services d'Action Civique) to the rescue ; these were founded by Jacques Foccart (the psychopath responsible for "african matters" for De Gaulle) in the context of the war against Algerian liberation (back in 1960).
Now, it's the time for me to acknowledge that some people face levels of generalized repression way worse than we do in France/USA/Hong Kong. I'm thinking of people tortured by security services (such as FSB) all around the world for "not thinking right" or just out of suspicion.
In the western world, you can speak your mind very openly as long as it does not threaten the exploitative system we live in, while in some countries like Morocco simply insulting the king will get you in prison.
Still, this very wild violence is the foundation of every capitalist society and western societies are not exempt from it, contrary to what you seemed to imply. It's just not the general rule in our day-to-day lives (at least in richer neighborhoods).