There appears to be a new tendency gaining traction in the US Left. That's the position that any sort of fightback, non violent included, is doomed to failure, because if we fight back we'll just be inviting ruling class suppression. By this logic, the labor upsurge of the 1930's and the Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's should have never happened.
Yes, there were indeed attempts to suppress these movements, which included the murder of key acitivists and leaders. Nevertheless these movements prevailed. If those of this tendency are so fearful of non violent resistance one can only imagine their distress at the other alternative which leads us to.......
Guns! Oh Dear!
The common argument against the use of armed resistance, is that rifles are worthless against tanks. True. I don't have the time nor inclination to give a class in Urban Guerrilla Warfare 101 except to say, in past instances no one used rifles against tanks. That's what Molotov Cocktails are for. Now, I'm not advocating armed struggle. At least for now. I just wanted to dispense with the argument "rifles vs tanks." For those interested in learning more, I suggest the book, The Blood of Free Men, by Michael Neiberg, which chronicles the actions of the French Resistance in Paris, in 1944.
Had the Don't fight back! They'll suppress us! crowd been around in Spain in the 1930's what would have happened........
An Alternative History of the Spanish Civil War
When General Francisco Franco landed in Spain with troops from the Spanish Army of Africa, in 1936, the first impulse of the Workers and Peasant militia members, was to call for the defense of the Spanish Republic, by means of armed resistance.
Ana Delarollover a government minister, from the Spanish region of Brooklonia, said, "no, resistance is futile. If we resist we'll just be suppressed. The Spanish Organization, translated into English, Guns! Oh Dear! proposed a compromise between the two positions of armed resistance.and no resistance. "No, we must not resort to violence. Instead let us call for a large, legal, peaceful demonstration, in protest of Franco's actions." Sure enough there was a large, legal, peaceful demonstration, in protest of Franco's actions.
When Franco learned of this he exclaimed, "oh no, a large, legal, peaceful demonstration, in protest of my actions! How can I resist this, with only a couple of hundred thousand soldiers, armed only with rifles, machine guns, mortars, artillery, tanks, combat aircraft, and a line of credit with US oil companies? I must appeal for a negotiated settlement."
And it came to pass that peace terms were discussed over a banquet of sprouts and herbal tea. Sure enough, Franco called off his coup attempt, retired from the Army, and used his savings to buy a farm, where he raised prize winning Tofu. Even today Franco Farm Tofu is considered the best in the world. All because of a large, legal peaceful demonstration. The end.
