Spiral Of Violence - Chapter 1 Flashcards
Definitions
Demagogy
Using emotion than logic in order to win an argument
Biafra
Section of Nigeria that attempted to separate, the government didn’t accept so they closed them in which created a humanitarian crisis
“Grey belts”
Economically depressed areas throughout the world
Subterfuge
Deception or trickery in order to gain an advantage (usually of a complicated nature)
“The old Inquisition”
aka Spanish inquisition, in which the then newly established catholic authority, persecuted thousands of Muslims, Jews and Christians
Monolithic
A single thing that is large and imposing
Populorum Progressio
A Catholic church document addressing issues of poverty and economic injustice
Bourgeoise
a middle class characterized as boring, conformity
Strata
Layers
Pluralism
Allowing of multiple different things in the same space (ex. religion, ethnicities…)
Guerilla Warfare
a type of military tactics involving hit and run attacks (that was used in the Vietnam War)
Dialectical Materialism
history and society were predictable and a process that was unfolding that you could look at the past being inevitable, meaning we can look into the future and determine where things will inevitably go, guiding philosophy for communism.
Context and reason for the Spiral of Violence?
Written in the wake of the Vietnam War and post World War II, meant to criticism the reasons for poverty, and the violence that comes from it
What is it trying to say?
Poverty is a form of violence
- Poverty leads to a revolt from those in poverty
- Leading to repression from the wealthy fighting back against the revolt
Continues as a ‘Spiral of Violence’
What is the section ‘looking at the earth’ about?
Poverty and injustices are prevalent in all countries, reducing them to sub-human conditions. It kills, and leads to physical, moral, and psychological deformity. Exists between developed and undeveloped countries, as much as it does between the capitalists and the socialists (ex. USA, USSR). Both trying to influence people to their side.
What is the section ‘violence attracts violence’ about?
Egoism drives privileged groups to allow people to be in sub-human conditions. This violence attracts violence, and revolt, especially from those who are oppressed and the youth. People who are rebelling will be painted as agitators and subversive elements. The developed world is sure, and proud, so much so that they don’t realize the consequences that poverty can have.
What is the section ‘and then comes repression’ about?
Authorities try to resist violence, in order to maintain the status quo, even if it means turning to force (violence). They use the ‘logic’ of violence in order to justify uses of moral and physical torture. People in high power will do anything possible to keep it, turning to dictatorship and atrocities to keep it. There is no country that isn’t in danger of falling into violence
What is the section ‘a real threat’ about?
The rich always become richer, while the poor become poorer; with one such instance being the struggle between the USA and Vietcong during the Vietnam War. Until there is someone who has the courage to completely rewrite the trade policy and the norm, then the wealth gap will only increase. The poor are getting restless, and will turn to protest, and violence. Leading to a spiral of violence stemming from poverty, to rebellion, to repression and all over again.
What is the ‘Spiral of Violence’? What are its parts, how is it caused, and what are its outcomes?
The spiral of violence refers to the cycle of poverty, revolt, and repression, then back to poverty and the violence that comes from it. Poverty reduces people to the sub-human condition where they don’t have access to necessities like water, food, and shelter. This is due to the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. Especially seen in Capitalist countries where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It is an ideology that pushes materialism and individuals in order to stand while communism is an ideology that opposes it, having people be a community with no social standing (an ideology utilized by the USSR). However, this has been ineffective in practice with corrupt and power hungry government officials and people. Despite these two ideologies clashing, the source problem of poverty can still be seen in such countries. The rich are blended and do not react changes to prevent it. This leads into revolt, those who are oppressed naturally become tired of their situation and fight back with the thought that they have nothing left to lose. This can turn into violence in retaliation to those who have wronged them. Camara specifically pointed to the fact that the young have opened their eyes to the atrocities and have begun to fight back. However, rebellion brings change and those in power are most likely to be against it, leading to repression. This is where those in power attempt to maintain the status quo pushing back against the rebels. Often, using harsh forms of violence in the name of defence to explain their actions. This all has the possibility of cycling back to poverty. Explaining the ‘spiral’ that people get lost in when people fight with violence against violence.
