thinking about sad things - part iii: violence and black bloc's philosophy

7/29/2019 Thinking About Sad Things - Part III: Violence and Black Bloc's Philosophy

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Thinking About Sad Things - Part Three: Violence and Black Bloc's

Philosophy

"Philosophy is the practice of making and assessing arguments. An argument isa set of statements (called premises) that work together to support another

statement (the conclusion).Making and assessing arguments can help us get closer to understanding thetruth. At the very least, the process helps make us aware of our reasons forbelieving what we believe, and it enables us to use reason when we discuss ourbeliefs with other people."

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/

So, now you know where I am going with this missive. Those who know me,know that I value reason and thinking based on sound thinking. I am going totry and make myself aware of my reasons for believing what I do, and hopefully

for acting the way I do. Is it really possible to know and understand the rationaland irrational bases for ones actions? Seems to me that this question might beworth more study and reflect. If you appreciate this type of reading andthinking, then maybe you too will want to reflect on the words and pictures thatfollow.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - Acts of violence involving the "Black Bloc" in

So Paulo, Brazil.

What follows is a true (my version) story of a recent violent incident that my

wife and I had the opportunity (unfortunately?) to be participants. It seems to

be a good way to introduce a topic that has been gnawing within me for many

years, and now I have decided to make some time and study and develop my

thoughts about peace and violence a little better. Here's the story:

It was peaceful and unseasonable warm evening in So Paulo, and we were

beginning to settle down and channel surf on the TV. Usually the remote

control is in my wife's, Wanda, hand and I'm beside her, half watching the TV

with her and half doing something on the computer and / or internet. Then

from down in the street rose a strange bubble of noise. While I looked out of

the window, I called to Wanda to come and see. All the trash that was stackedin the bags and baskets waiting to be collected later that night had been

thrown out into the street. And maybe a hundred or so people could be seen

running up the street, followed by what appeared to be photographers, some

using gas masks.

As part of a personal study, Wanda quickly picked up here camera and ran

down to the street. I thought she would just take some pictures from the front

gate and come back upstairs. Much to my surprise, as I continued to watch

from the window, Wanda ran right out after the first group. And then I beganto feel the teargas burn in my eyes. Obviously, I went down into the street too,
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/philosophy/


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hoping to help her... from whatever might happen. The situation that I found

involved in can be seen in a photographic collage that I made at the end of this

missive.

So, that's how we came to be personally involved in a Black Bloc incident;

fortunately in a non-violent manner and with no physical or legal consequences.

The mental consequences, both conscious and unconscious are stillreverberating in our lives and conversations.

This is the incident that led me to create a list of related topics that had already

been forming in my mind, and now have led me to start studying them better

and to start writing down my feelings and thoughts.

When discussing this incident and some of the rationale behind the way the

group Black Bloc acts, Wanda's daughter, Mariana, surprised me with a

comment that went something like this: "some social changes only happen if

violence is used". Mariana is a very intelligent, generous, liberal and peacefulpersonal, so this comment of hers really motivated me go deeper into the

subject of violence and social change.

However, in my so far admittedly limited studies and mostly done through the

internet, I came across some different points of view to this subject of social

change versus violence. The concept of "Rule of Law" and the writings of

Norberto Bobbio seemed pertinent and worth continued study. Trying not to

only read and study what I personally find appealing, I found and read some of

the ideas of John Zerzan. I found them interesting and worthwhile, eventhough I don't agree with much of what he wrote and his opinions. Here are

some links which I have consulted and intend to go back and study more

toughly. It doesn't seem necessary to repeat here what can easily be read and

interpreted with their own "filters".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Bobbiohttp://www.johnzerzan.net/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zerzan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_blochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Bobbiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Bobbiohttp://www.johnzerzan.net/http://www.johnzerzan.net/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zerzanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zerzanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zerzanhttp://www.johnzerzan.net/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norberto_Bobbiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc


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For now, what I would like to present for my readers further consideration are

two quotations that I found by Hannah Arendt. These quotations by Arendt

seem, to me at least, to be a good counter argument to Mariana's comment

about "some social change needs to be brought about by violence".

http://www.egs.edu/library/hannah-arendt/quotes/

1.Forgiveness is the exact opposite of vengeance, which acts in the form ofre-enacting against an original trespassing whereby far from putting an

end to the consequences of the first misdeed, everybody remains bound

to the process, permitting the chain reaction contained in every action to

take its unhindered course.

2. Today all these old verities about the relation between war and politicsor about violence and power have become inapplicable. The Second

World War was not followed by peace, but by a cold war and the

establishment of a military-industrial-labor complex.

Arendt, Hannah. On Violence. Mariner Books. March 11, 1970. Paperback, 120

pages, Language English, ISBN: 0156695006.

The above is a collage I made of photographs taken off the internet on aTuesday evening describe above. It shows how my wife become involved(peacefully, mercifully).
http://www.egs.edu/library/hannah-arendt/quotes/http://www.egs.edu/library/hannah-arendt/quotes/http://www.egs.edu/library/hannah-arendt/quotes/

thinking about sad things - part iii: violence and black bloc's philosophy

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