The Necessary Violence

On Pacifism and Passivity

Morning Comrades.

Over the last few months we have repeatedly returned to the question of violence, mostly due to a gut feeling of mine that we are fast approaching events and a timeline that I wasn’t expecting to appear this soon, combined with what, in retrospect, seems like a juvenile but honest understanding of my last 30 years in opposition to capitalism in all its forms.

Self-criticism is a prominent pillar of my being and I have been wrong more often than I have been right, especially in the last couple of years - and up until about 2020 I was convinced that the end of the Western Empire, whilst inevitable, would not been experienced in my lifetime. That I am extremely unsure of, today. Potentially, this was rooted in my own denial of what that meant, on a very personal, local level but as always, it is vital to face facts and act accordingly, according to ones abilities. These days, I am convinced that the beginning is here, now, and the subsequent dispatches on violence over the last few months were as always my own thoughts on how and what that means, for me, and ultimately, us.

When I wrote on Monday that the only way to combat fascism / racism is organzied violence I meant it. What I wasn’t clear about it is how much I dislike it, truthfully, I am much happier spending my time having silly little drinks with my friends talking shit, than fighting nazis in the streets. Truly. Yet, in order for that to happen, and be truly at peace, this bullshit has to be dealt with, in its entirety. Especially, as a person born into the highest form of privilege, a white man from Northern Europe, it is not only an inherent duty to do what it takes to make that a reality but also eschew any and all desires for it to happen, now, today, for me. On the contrary, it will not, but that’s ok, it has to be ok, for this fight to be honest and successful. So whilst, in my truest form, I am a peace loving sloth I logically accept that reality is something else, and that only dedication, training and discipline. empathy and organization will get us to this point. From which we then build the world we want. With that, a little foray into the discussion how this peace loving sloth argues that this pacifism is anything but passivity.