The elites screw the peasants over , the peasants revolt and the elites blame the peasants . It's about where we are at .
As soon as the peasants have successfully revolted against the elites they themselves become the new elite. The fact is, most revolts in history created governments just as bad or even worse than the ones they'd set out to replace.
That's why I'm quite wary of revolutionaries no matter their political background. Most of the time they lack the humility to ask the crucial questions: Am I intelligent and righteous enough to seek this power?
No. This is precisely the double standard that the left uses for “justifiable” violence and anything they disagree with. All of it is wrong. Period.
On this matter (and this matter alone) I have to disagree. Blame it on my previous working for my country's parliament if you like.
Pointing out a difference does not reduce one iota the radical left's guilt for last year's riots or any other act of violence committed in their name. Whenever a figurative red line is crossed, the degrees of violation of social norms aren't measured in categories of
bad and
less bad (let alone
more okay). You wouldn't call a one-fold murderer a better person than a double murderer, would you?
Rioters attacking some random neighbourhood anywhere in the country will commit arson, criminal property damage, illegal trespassing and any number of similar offences. Should their actions be concerted and objectively suited to intimidating parts of the population they might cross the threshold of terrorism. But that's pretty much the end of it.
If rioters with the declared intent to coerce the termination of said session attack the Capitol – the seat of the legislative branch, a constitutional body indispensable to a functioning state – during a session formally required to validate the results of the presidential elections, then their actions are a textbook example of an insurrection.
Frankly, I see no room for debating that.
If that crowd intended to prevent the legislative branch from formally certifiying the election results they
did take part in an insurrection. And that's exactly what many of them were saying about their intentions.
A random neighbourhood isn't a constitutional body. Vandalising innocent people's property and creating an atmosphere of fear are despicable crimes, but they're not suited to sabotaging the ability of the constitutional powers to carry out their lawful duty. Portland going up in flames doesn't impact the ability of citizens elsewhere in the country to exert their constitutional rights; a parliament incapacitated
does.
Hence there's a difference. The left's double standards make no difference here. Several things can be true at once.
