I spent most of today following news of the Black Lives Matter protests in the US. A couple of days ago, I was telling my Dad that the US and India are likely to see huge upheavals in coming years. Rapacious capitalism built on a scaffolding of white supremacy and caste, respectively, was tearing the social fabric. But I am not going to pontificate on what's going on. Playing Nostradamus on a blog that no one reads is a low-stakes endeavour but it feels shallow--current events are too serious for me to be playing intellectual-intellectual.
However, I have learned a few things that have surprised me. Firstly, how well police in the US are paid and how effective their unions are. Left-wing activists have always seen the police as strike-breakers and protectors of capital. But, if moves are made to cut their budgets and curtail their power, how will they respond? What happens if the strike-breakers go on strike? What happens if they turn violent?
Crises can be very revealing events. When people or groups are pushed into a corner, how they respond can reveal a lot about power structures and institutional configurations.
However, I have learned a few things that have surprised me. Firstly, how well police in the US are paid and how effective their unions are. Left-wing activists have always seen the police as strike-breakers and protectors of capital. But, if moves are made to cut their budgets and curtail their power, how will they respond? What happens if the strike-breakers go on strike? What happens if they turn violent?
Crises can be very revealing events. When people or groups are pushed into a corner, how they respond can reveal a lot about power structures and institutional configurations.
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