Maxims on Civil Resistance part I

• Civil resistance is a voluntary collective experience that imparts pluralism before state becomes pluralistic.

• ‘Rule of law’ occludes the fact that without people’s consent there cannot be any rule of laws, institutions, or elites.

• Gandhi, King, Havel, Walesa, Mandela agreed on this point: idea of political violence to overthrow dictatorial regimes is NOT RADICAL enough.

• Resistance is about preeminence of action. Inaction is less effective than violent action. Violent action is less effective than nonviolent action.

• No nonviolent resistance that mobilized at least 3.5% of the population ever failed. In China, it would be 45 million people…

• Transactional demands: higher wages, better working conditions pave the way to transformational demands: equitable distribution of wealth.

See Maxims on Civil Resistance part II

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