# How come there isn't more political violence in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 7, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454 "2019-10-07T21:29:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/21 "2019-10-09T14:33:54Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > Simple answer is because it’s not bad enough. Bad enough for who? For a lot of them it isn’t bad at all, but they have been brainwashed to believe that if they don’t have it all what they don’t have has been stolen from them. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/22 "2019-10-09T14:59:17Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > Simple answer is because it’s not bad enough. I agree. Most people have good jobs and a high standard of living. Most people will tolerate quite a bit of inconvenience before they get violent. But when the food starts to run out, all hell breaks loose. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/23 "2019-10-09T15:22:06Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > [They dropped a bomb and destroyed a suburb.](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/14/us/police-drop-bomb-on-radicals-home-in-philadelphia.html) Not to nitpick, Banquet Bear, but West Philadelphia is hardly a suburb. It is quite urban. Back to the OP, the answer has been said what with the Right already pretty much having all the power, ergo the only thing that rallies them is the threat of losing it. This is why you hear things like ‘white genocide’, or fear-mongering about Shiara law, or just shit made up about immigration in European countries (that the goombahs will never read about, let alone visit) bringing about their downfall. A couple of decades ago I was watching some documentary on, of all channels, MTV. It was about radical white supremacists and they were interviewing one prominent young skinhead who gave out the usual rhetoric and waved around his cheap-chinese made AK variant. They would intersperse this with interviews with a neighbor of about the same age who lived in the same neighborhood making fun of the skinhead. Anyway, to show off he the skinhead was shown on the phone trying to get his buddies to come and bust up some Gay Pride event. He made a bunch of calls. None of his skinhead buddies were interested in taking the time, he was even begging them since he was on camera with MTV. It was beyond pathetic. Nowadays, the numbers are a bit higher when you count in the variations on skinheads, such as the Proud Boys et. al. but they really aren’t exactly able to make a big splash. They’ve used up a bunch of one-shot media tactics (such as making Ngo out to be an innocent victim), their attempts to start fights (such as in Portland & Boston) just end up with them being outnumbered and depending on the cops to fight for them. Charlottesville was their attempt at a big splash and it backfired on them, and not just because of the deaths they caused. They’ve now been known to retreat in the face of milkshakes. The fact that the Proud Boys have to travel from their secure suburbs into cities (where they are not welcome) to make any kind of violence splash is a deterrent. Hence why they have been doing things like attacking suburban coffee shops where they might not be outnumbered. Its not exactly going to make big gains for them. ---
**Author:** ![Annoyed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Annoyed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoyed)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/24 "2019-10-09T15:41:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Bad enough for who? For a lot of them it isn’t bad at all, but they have been brainwashed to believe that if they don’t have it all what they don’t have has been stolen from them. I was replying directly to the thread title. Who are “they” and “them” that you are referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/25 "2019-10-09T15:48:21Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > Simple answer is because it’s not bad enough. Basically, this ^. And below are examples of why it isn’t bad enough to trigger violence. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Colin Kaepernick lost his career because he took a knee. Kaepernick opts out of his contract, stages a protest, collects a Nike shoe contract and a whole bunch of awards, and gets a settlement from the NFL because they don’t want to hire somebody who causes viewership to drop. > [@](#): > > Due to his advocacy, the NFL endured an eight percent decline in viewership from fans in the 2016 season with the main reason (cited by 30% of fans in one survey) stemming from player protests [Cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kaepernick). > [@](#): > > [They dropped a bomb and destroyed a suburb.](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/14/us/police-drop-bomb-on-radicals-home-in-philadelphia.html) The police bomb a house with a bunch of crazies inside who are shooting at them. The firefighters can’t stop the fires that get started because said crazies will shoot at them. Thirty years ago. > [@](#): > > [Six men tied to the Ferguson protests are dead](https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-ferguson-activist-deaths-black-lives-matter-20190317-story.html) either by murder, suicide. Some protesters kill themselves, or die of drug overdoses, or are murdered. And this is because of white supremacy. :rolleyes: It doesn’t trigger violence. Instead, this is the reaction - > [@](#): > > No arrests have been made in the two homicides. St. Louis County police spokesman Shawn McGuire said witnesses have simply refused to come forward, leaving detectives with no answers for why the men were targeted. In the meantime, [black unemployment falls to record levels](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/economy/black-unemployment-rate/index.html), and > [@Donald Trump](#): > > The poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans – it’s been incredible, they’ve all reached their lowest levels in the history of our country. [Is this correct? Yes, at least as far back as poverty data has been calculated.](https://www.politifact.com/west-virginia/statements/2018/oct/23/donald-trump/african-american-hispanic-poverty-all-time-low/) Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/26 "2019-10-09T16:20:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I just assumed American political violence was just being overshadowed by the much larger amount of American regular violence. Also, a lot of “regular American violence” is right-wing political violence, we’re just so used to it we tend not to think of it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/27 "2019-10-09T16:31:41Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The police bomb a house with a bunch of crazies inside who are shooting at them. The firefighters can’t stop the fires that get started because said crazies will shoot at them. Utter dreck and nonsense. The bomb was dropped on the MOVE house to try and dislodge a bunker on the roof that the police feared (despite it being unoccupied) and due to a poor decision to mix explosive types a fire was started as as result. However, for several **hours** prior to the bomb being dropped the Fire Department had been using a water cannon to try and dislodge the bunker. When the fire started, that water cannon was nowhere in site. When questioned after the conflagration, the Police openly said in a Press Conference that the decision was made to “Let the Fire Burn”. I despise MOVE and their craziness, but don’t make excuses for the wanton disregard for the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/28 "2019-10-09T16:31:53Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Also, a lot of “regular American violence” is right-wing political violence, we’re just so used to it we tend not to think of it that way. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/29 "2019-10-09T16:54:02Z")
People are too busy playing with their phones. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/30 "2019-10-09T17:12:22Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Utter dreck and nonsense. No it isn’t. From the cite provided - > [@](#): > > Fire engulfed the house hit by the bomb and spread to neighboring row houses, but firefighters delayed attempts to battle the blaze for at least an hour out of fear that they would become targets of any surviving members of the heavily armed group. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/31 "2019-10-09T17:15:00Z")
The reason people don’t engage in more political violence in America is akin to those who ask, “Why don’t the people of North Korea just all rise as one and overthrow their dictators?” Because people _ **don’t** _ all rise as one simultaneously. The one or few who stand up and take violent action, will simply be dealt with and neutralized one by one. The other 99% of people will sit on their hands. (Not that I’m comparing neo-nazis to the oppressed North Korean populace, but you get my point) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/32 "2019-10-09T17:33:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No it isn’t. From the cite provided - > > Regards, > Shodan Water cannon. Suddenly unavailable. After hours of being used on the bunker. > **[The day Philadelphia bombed its own people](https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/8/8/20747198/philadelphia-bombing-1985-move)** > > An oral history of a 1985 police bombing that changed the city forever. Angie Lofton, a resident of the neighborhood: Everyone’s question at the time was why weren’t they putting the fire out. They were just gonna let the fire burn. Later we’d find out that the police commissioner and fire commissioner agreed to use it as a tactical plan. William Brown III, chair of the Special Investigation MOVE Commission: We were told by the experts that when the fire first started, you could have put it out with a bucket of water. The fire Department didn’t need to endanger themselves. They just had to turn that water cannon back on. They had no problem using it earlier in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/33 "2019-10-09T19:36:20Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No it isn’t. From the cite provided - > > Regards, > Shodan Taking your argument at face value - perhaps that’s something that they should have considered _before_ they dropped an incendiary device on a residential neighborhood? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/34 "2019-10-09T19:58:01Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Cite? [NYT - right wing extremist violence on the rise.](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/world/white-extremist-terrorism-christchurch.html) Also, just today on NPR there was a report specifically about the rise in right wing extremist violence in America since 2016. In contrast, extremist violence outside America has been decreasing for the same period. I’ll provide a link if/when my google powers are working again. (I’m going to regret responding. I always do…) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/35 "2019-10-09T20:09:39Z")
Like many have said, Americans know they’ve got it pretty good. I suspect there is a VERY small percentage of people who are willing to risk their relatively comfortable life for a political ideal. So you get assorted random acts of violence by nuts of all stripes. But large numbers of folk aren’t going to turn off the TV and get up off the couch to go to war against the government. I occasionally wonder what would happen if those who are the least fortunate ever decided to try violent group action against the more comfortable. But I suspect we’d see the National Guard roll pretty quickly to protect moneyed interests. But a GOOD percentage of America’s poorest still have it considerably better than many worldwide. And other than some religion, we lack the geographic/tribal divides that split so many states. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/36 "2019-10-09T20:13:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Taking your argument at face value - perhaps that’s something that they should have considered _before_ they dropped an incendiary device on a residential neighborhood? Maybe they should have tried tear gas and guns and evacuating everyone else and using a water cannon to try to knock down a bunker MOVE had on their roof and an hours-long standoff and getting family and friends and clergy to talk the MOVE members into surrendering. While the MOVE members tried to kill the police because they were angry that nine of their members were in prison for murder. Maybe they should have tried that first. They did. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/37 "2019-10-09T20:30:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Kaepernick opts out of his contract, stages a protest, collects a Nike shoe contract and a whole bunch of awards, and gets a settlement from the NFL because they don’t want to hire somebody who causes viewership to drop.[Cite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Kaepernick). …from your cite: > [@wiki](#): > > In November 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing NFL owners of collusion to keep him out of the league.[100] The NFL requested to dismiss the case but was denied by an arbitrator which meant the case would go to trial.[101][102] On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement with the NFL and withdrew the grievance.[103][104] Can you point out what part of the confidential settlement showed that backs up your assertion here? Why does it matter that Kaepernick is also a successful businessman? How does that change anything I said? > [@](#): > > The police bomb a house with a bunch of crazies inside who are shooting at them. The firefighters can’t stop the fires that get started because said crazies will shoot at them. Addressed by others. > [@](#): > > Thirty years ago. Some protesters kill themselves, or die of drug overdoses, or are murdered. And this is because of white supremacy. :rolleyes: Or purposefully somehow lynched themselves. Don’t forget the apparent “suicidal” lynching. > [@](#): > > It doesn’t trigger violence. Instead, this is the reaction - Yep. The reaction was black people got blamed. Exactly as I said. Thanks for providing a cite that proves exactly what I said. The police can’t solve the murder case and the reason they can’t solve it is because of black people. Thanks for making that clear. > [@](#): > > In the meantime, [black unemployment falls to record levels](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/06/economy/black-unemployment-rate/index.html), and > [Is this correct? Yes, at least as far back as poverty data has been calculated.](https://www.politifact.com/west-virginia/statements/2018/oct/23/donald-trump/african-american-hispanic-poverty-all-time-low/) LOL. A single metric. A single volatile metric that doesn’t measure those that are not seeking work and those that are imprisoned, a metric that doesn’t say anything about quality of life. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/38 "2019-10-09T21:23:24Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Maybe they should have tried tear gas and guns and evacuating everyone else and using a water cannon to try to knock down a bunker MOVE had on their roof and an hours-long standoff and getting family and friends and clergy to talk the MOVE members into surrendering. While the MOVE members tried to kill the police because they were angry that nine of their members were in prison for murder. > > Maybe they should have tried that first. They did. > Regards, > Shodan I’m not defending MOVE. For the purposes of this thread, let’s say I agree that everything MOVE did was wrong, and no part of their complaint was justified. Okay? I think it’s still pretty fucked up that the government burned down a bunch of people’s houses because they happened to live near MOVE. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/39 "2019-10-09T21:24:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Maybe they should have tried tear gas and guns and evacuating everyone else and using a water cannon to try to knock down a bunker MOVE had on their roof and an hours-long standoff and getting family and friends and clergy to talk the MOVE members into surrendering. While the MOVE members tried to kill the police because they were angry that nine of their members were in prison for murder. > > Maybe they should have tried that first. They did. > Regards, > Shodan What did everyone else in the neighborhood do to deserve having their houses get burned? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-isnt-more-political-violence-in-the-us/841454/40 "2019-10-09T21:44:42Z")
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