National LD Topic Resolved: On balance, violent revolution is a just response to oppression

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Debating Oppression and Violent Revolution There is a wide world of political philosophy and history to research for the National Lincoln-Douglas topic on oppression and revolution. Oppression is a bad thing, but how much oppression justifies a violent revolution? In part the answer turns on the alternatives available to the oppressed. If people have the option of voting themselves out of oppression, they are obligated to try voting before violence. But voting can be rigged, and if all the candidates are part of the same oppressive regime, then voting will change little. The American revolution was justified by the absence of representation. Americans were being taxed but felt they were not represented in the English government that was deciding on tax methods and tax rates (of course, had colonists been able to vote for representatives to the English Parliament, and had the hated taxes still been passed, it is not clear what the reaction would have been). Also the British allowed the "general warrant" which allowed government agents to search American homes without the specific warrant that was required in England. Probably the best instances of repression and revolution for debaters to investigate are those that surrounded the fall of Communism in Eastern (actually Central) Europe. Faced with decades of Communist oppression, the people of Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Yugoslavia, Albania all took different paths to relative freedom. Some staged violent revolutions, others "velvet" revolutions with peaceful transfers of power. Revolution is still an option for those still oppressed by totalitarian leaders (Ukraine, China, Cuba, North Korea, for example). But because violent revolutions so drastically disrupt society they often lead to worse rather than better governments. This was clearly the case with communist revolutions of the 20th Century. This story is told in The Black Book of Communism (see link below). ---------- John Locke's Revolutionary Ideas by George H. Smith Who decides when a revolution is necessary? Locke answers: "The people shall be judge." In a passage later drawn upon by Jefferson for his Declaration of Independence, Locke writes: "If a long train of abuses, prevarications, and artifices, all tending the same way, make the design [to oppress] visible to the people, and they cannot but feel, what they lie under, and see, whither they are going; 'tis not to be wondered, that they should then rouse themselves, and endeavor to put the rule into such hands, which may secure to them the ends for which government was first erected." What if a revolution involves considerable bloodshed? In this event, argues Locke, the fault lies with the oppressors, not with the oppressed: [click here for more of article] -- George H. Smith ---------- "Government has no other end but protection of property..." Locke's explanation for the birth of government justifies the right of revolution. By asserting that private property was naturally antecedent to government and that the latter was created for the sole purpose of protecting the former, he drastically circumcised governmental power. [Click here for full article by Catherine Valke.] ---------- The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression by Stéphane Courtois et al.; translation by Jonathan Murphy and Mark Kramer Violent revolutions drastically disrupt social order and open the door for even worst regimes. This was the case with communist revolutions of the 20th Century. This story is told in The Black Book of Communism (see link below). Click here for comments and review. ---------- Government oppression killed far more people than wars in 20th Century Little known outside the academic community, scholar R. J. Rummel suddenly received much attention when he wrote Death by Government (Transaction, 1994). In the book, Rummel analyzed 8,193 estimates of government killings and reported that throughout history governments have killed more than 300 million people&emdash;with more than half, or 170 million, killed during the twentieth century. These numbers don't include war deaths! Click here for more information and interview with Rummel. ---------- The Economic Freedom of the World 2001 The opposite of oppression is freedom. The latest Economic Freedom of the World Report shows key role of economic freedom. "The core ingredients of economic freedom are "personal choice, protection of private property, and freedom of exchange." After compiling the economic freedom index, they compared the data with various indicators of social progress. The result: more freedom translates into less poverty, faster economic growth, and higher scores on the United Nations Human Development Index." Click here for press release on report and link to online version.