# Is self-immolation an effective means of protest?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-self-immolation-an-effective-means-of-protest/998117>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 26, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-self-immolation-an-effective-means-of-protest/998117 "2024-02-26T19:38:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 45

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-self-immolation-an-effective-means-of-protest/998117/45 "2024-03-01T01:12:13Z")

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This ties in a bit with a recent thread on what obligation one has to improve the bad situation in the country they live in, versus just trying to move out and leave the mess to the less mobile.

> [@What responsibility do a people have to change their country/state rather than flee it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-responsibility-do-a-people-have-to-change-their-country-state-rather-than-flee-it/995357):
>
> This is something I’ve been struggling with for a while now. I read about people fleeing places and complaining about the conditions where they fled to, or who move to other states because they don’t like the policies and bitch about how much they don’t like it, or they stay and bitch and moan. But at the same time, I feel like they have some sort of obligation to stay and fight, rather than just flee and expect others/other places to be better to them. I mean, I see the Gazans suffering and …

ISTM it’s pretty clear that a LOT of people would rather live under political regimes or in societies different than the one they do. And it’s also clear to me that change in any society is largely controlled by the speed of the most change-resistant members of that society. Whether that’s vested interests = the current winners, or more about the preferences of the _lumpenproletariat_.

Which leads me to conclude that one of the most fundamental human rights is to not only emigrate, but to be allowed to immigrate to the situation of your choice.

We improve total human existence by letting people vote with their feet and letting the bad places become depopulated over time.

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