"Power never takes a back step - only in the face of more power."
-- Malcolm X, Malcolm X Speaks, 1965
This clearly has a lot of truth to it. But is it totally true? I wonder. For example, how did women get the right to vote? How did it become immoral/illegal to beat children? Women and children never had the power to force these things through, and yet the changes happened.
7 comments:
Actually, didn't women have the power to push this through. Susan B Anthony and Emilline Pankhurst may have something to say on this.
The battle of Peterloo shows how too much power is not real power.
And what about the power of that one guy in Tiananmen square.
The rights of minors required people who cared to act on their behalf, but if enough people care and protest, be it from peaceful boycott to political or violent action, then authority can be shaken and power challenged.
Of course the climate has to be right, women's voting rights didn't count for much until the Cromwell and his small band managed to break the Monarchy. Child rights came from human rights instituted in the larger European Community/Union. If you live under a tyrant, don't go looking for abolition of the dog licence.
"And what about the power of that one guy in Tiananmen square."
I don't think that's the kind of power Malcom was talking about. He had to be talking about Force, otherwise the quote is meaningless.
Well, you certainly could say that the guy in Tiananmen Square got his power exclusively from not taking a step back.
Well, over here in Lebanon, electrical power keeps taking one back step after another!
Does that count? :-P
so, what does he mean by "only in the face of more power"? since malcom x was obviously supported using violence to get civil rights, was he saying that whites in power would never fall if not faced with other power (aka physical force from civil rights protestor's) ? or is he saying that power is when face with a threat, power never takes a step back, or cedes?
sorry let me rephrase that last sentence: or is he saying that when power is faced with a threat it will never step back?
No, he is saying that without one it doesn't.
But I think he's wrong, like I said.
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