Take the Power Back: Talking about revolution
Revolution is a daunting word, not to be
used casually. It means a lot of sacrifice and
pain for many revolutionaries. It is vital to
survival, it flows in our veins, and we know
we need it. Because it is the only way change
is ever made from below.
Revolutionary struggle has deposed dictators, fired bosses, beheaded kings, crashed corporations, pushed out colonizers, won freedoms and better living conditions, and brought dignity to the lives of the revolutionaries in the process
As everyone is currently witnessing, a strong anti-authoritarian revolution is spreading across the Middle East. People aren't fighting for religion; they are fighting to push out the tyrants and dictators who rule their countries with an iron fist. They are fighting because they feel like the rich are robbing their future from them. They are fighting for freedom and a better tomorrow. And regardless of what anybody says about peaceful protests, the people are fighting. They are burning cop cars and police stations, breaking their loved ones out of jails, looting government offices, blocking all roads and creating community safety patrols to protect each other from agents of the state and greedy opportunists. They are meeting the police head on and pushing them back, sometimes suffering gunshots in the process. Hundreds have been killed. But their strength keeps growing and the passion for freedom spreads.
These revolts are shaking power to its core. There are millions in the streets in a half-dozen different nations including Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Jordan and Syria. And what's so exciting is it isn't just the Arab world that's rising up. We are witnessing a global revolution in progress.
Last year saw revolutionaries clash with authority in large numbers all across Europe. We also saw a very large spike in revolutionary activity across Canada and the U.S. For those who think we could never win the majority of Canadians over to becoming committed revolutionaries because of apathy, privilege, comfort and other pacifying factors, it doesn't actually matter.
All revolution needs is about five per cent of the population to be committed revolutionaries and act as catalysts of events that would create the snowball effect that is widespread revolt. In times of conflict, people who aren't committed to revolution on a day-to-day basis still throw down.
If five per cent of Canadians were committed to kicking off an anti-authoritarian revolution, we would be 1.5-million strong. And that number doesn't include all the people in their support networks, families, friendship networks and others who would have affinity with and support their actions. This would make revolution inevitable.
Large territories would become de facto autonomous zones. Whole neighbourhoods in most major cities would be self-organized.
Revolutionaries would have a strong presence and influence in all industries, and be able to exert tremendous leverage and influence in challenging the way capital flows. In such a situation, things would snowball to the point where hierarchy, domination and exploitation would become impossible to maintain.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Revolutionary struggle has deposed dictators, fired bosses, beheaded kings, crashed corporations, pushed out colonizers, won freedoms and better living conditions, and brought dignity to the lives of the revolutionaries in the process
As everyone is currently witnessing, a strong anti-authoritarian revolution is spreading across the Middle East. People aren't fighting for religion; they are fighting to push out the tyrants and dictators who rule their countries with an iron fist. They are fighting because they feel like the rich are robbing their future from them. They are fighting for freedom and a better tomorrow. And regardless of what anybody says about peaceful protests, the people are fighting. They are burning cop cars and police stations, breaking their loved ones out of jails, looting government offices, blocking all roads and creating community safety patrols to protect each other from agents of the state and greedy opportunists. They are meeting the police head on and pushing them back, sometimes suffering gunshots in the process. Hundreds have been killed. But their strength keeps growing and the passion for freedom spreads.
These revolts are shaking power to its core. There are millions in the streets in a half-dozen different nations including Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Jordan and Syria. And what's so exciting is it isn't just the Arab world that's rising up. We are witnessing a global revolution in progress.
Last year saw revolutionaries clash with authority in large numbers all across Europe. We also saw a very large spike in revolutionary activity across Canada and the U.S. For those who think we could never win the majority of Canadians over to becoming committed revolutionaries because of apathy, privilege, comfort and other pacifying factors, it doesn't actually matter.
All revolution needs is about five per cent of the population to be committed revolutionaries and act as catalysts of events that would create the snowball effect that is widespread revolt. In times of conflict, people who aren't committed to revolution on a day-to-day basis still throw down.
If five per cent of Canadians were committed to kicking off an anti-authoritarian revolution, we would be 1.5-million strong. And that number doesn't include all the people in their support networks, families, friendship networks and others who would have affinity with and support their actions. This would make revolution inevitable.
Large territories would become de facto autonomous zones. Whole neighbourhoods in most major cities would be self-organized.
Revolutionaries would have a strong presence and influence in all industries, and be able to exert tremendous leverage and influence in challenging the way capital flows. In such a situation, things would snowball to the point where hierarchy, domination and exploitation would become impossible to maintain.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
