Those Who Say “Violence isn’t the answer” are Poor Students of History

If violence isn’t the answer, then why is it so effective?

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with this substack. I wanted to start writing articles about working for a health insurance company, but I realize the poison goes much deeper. So, political commentary it is, then.

We’ve been hearing it all over the news. Every politician, publication, news anchor, and billionaire after the death of Brian Thompson and the public’s reaction. Look at this pearl-clutching report from The Washington Post which says, “Those who excuse or celebrate Mr. Thompson’s killing reveal an ends-justify-the-means sentiment that is flatly inconsistent with stable democracy.”

But we’re not in a stable democracy.

We are, in fact, an oligarchy. If it wasn’t obvious before, It should be very obvious now. It has been for many years.

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

We have seen wages fall well below livable. Our federal minimum wage is still at $7.25 an hour. We have been fighting for a $15 minimum wage for so long that $15 an hour is no longer considered livable as of 2023. Coupled with the crippling debt from student loans, medical debt, and unexpected emergencies, and the rising cost of housing and food, many people are not making end meet. And this is the life I live. This is personal for me. I have cut out most of what brings me joy, and yet it’s not enough. It’s never enough. “Luxuries”, like store brand water, fresh produce, and a concert or event a few times a year are now unobtainable, even though they were not a few years ago. And I am making 18.00 an hour, have a partner and a cat, have no kids, and live in the cheapest, shittiest apartment I could find. And I’m not alone.

History shows that those in power only respond to violence.

Think back to any social issue. How many of those were passed without violence? How many of the privileges and protections we enjoy today were gained by talking?

I want to talk about Blair Mountain. Now, this is going to be a brief overview. I would highly suggest listening to Robert Evans’ podcast episodes on this. I am one person doing this in my spare time, and I can’t dedicate time to research like he does. I’m literally composing this on a cell phone. Plus, his voice is lovely and you will have fun learning about the worst people.

Anyway, The Battle of Blair Mountain is a very little know war between coal barons and miners. It is part of what is called the West Virginia Mine Wars. The coal barons were squeezing the miners to the point where they were unable to support their families. The song “16 Tons” paints a good picture. They worked, became sick, and died. There were no protections for the workers because those hurt profits. They tried to strike, to make their voices heard by the coal barons, and they were punished. So they fought back, well enough that the government got involved to quash the rebellion. Remember, the government, the police, and the politicians do not work for you. They serve the richest among us. You can see the evidence in the recent Amazon strikes, where the police are attempting to break the perfectly legal, non-volent strike. Because Jeff Bezos only cares about his next yacht, at least until the orcas decide he is Poseidon’s next sacrifice.

History rhymes. We are at a boiling point.

I don’t know if I was just precocious, but I’ve felt this way for a long, long, time. Personally, I’ve watched a parent become sick and die. We were lucky enough that everything was covered. Many times, that is not the case. People like Karen Lynch, who needed a 4th Mcmansion while her employees are living paycheck to paycheck. She, and I will say this with my chest, threw a fucking Disney World party in 2022 for her executives. She made over 20 million dollars this year before she “resigned”

Or our new CEO, When he was first introduced, spoke of retirement. Millennials like me are damn certain we will never retire. We are saddled with debt that keeps growing because the interest outpaces the minimum payments. Not to mention the ever-increasing food and housing costs. I am lucky, because I will never be truly homeless, but not many are lucky enough to have even a modest safety net.

It’s so much more than just giving our lives for corporate overlords to reap the benefits. Our worker protections have been defanged, and employers can get away with pretty much whatever they want. If you read my first article, I detail what I went through, and am still going through. That is the tip of the iceberg.

You can find stories everywhere without even trying.

So, that brings me to the reason for this post. Our rights were written in blood, because the only thing those in power care about more than hoarding it is their own lives. We see it in Donald Trump. I would posts links but there are so many that you can find examples all over Google. You find Elon Musk allegedly using his kid as a human shield. And you also see BCBS reversing a disgusting policy two days after Brian Thompson’s murder.

This is not new. From the birth of this country, where we displaced indigenous people with guns, germs, and steel, to the revolutionary war, all the way to the civil rights movement and beyond. None of these changes were made peacefully. They came at the cost of the lives of brave people who gave up comfort and safety to fight for a better world. I only hope we see more of this in the future.