When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little earlier, but they give up their imagination, their creativity, their will to work hard and to suffer for what they believe is right.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Violence in labor struggles sacrifices long-term creativity and moral will.
- In plain terms
- Violence in strikes might win short term but loses creativity and hope.
- What can you take from it?
- Non-violence preserves the spirit and creativity needed for lasting change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is violence justified?
- What do movements lose to violence?
Another view
It ignores contexts where violence is a last resort.
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