LogFAQs > #983009055

BlueKat posted...

The leaders were rebelling slaves and not former members of the Spanish military. And this is just one example. This actually happened quite a lot in South America and the Caribbean.

But the names you listed were all people with heavy backing from Spain:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Biassou

In 1793, France declared war on Spain, a war which eventually manifested in Hispaniola. Spain granted freedom to the revolutionaries in exchange for their assistance in battling France in Santo Domingo. A military organisation called the Black Auxiliaries of Charles IV was formed for the rebel leaders. Members included Georges Biassou, Jean-Franois Papillon, Toussaint Louverture and other rebels. The Black Auxiliaries were provided with weapons, supplies, and salaries. Biassou ultimately received Spanish citizenship, gold medals, and letters of recognition and confidence from the Spanish Government.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Dessalines

In 1791, along with thousands of other enslaved persons, Jean-Jacques Dessalines joined the slave rebellion of the northern plains led by Jean Franois Papillon and Georges Biassou. This rebellion was the first action of what would become the Haitian Revolution. Dessalines became a lieutenant in Papillon's army and followed him to Santo Domingo, occupying the eastern half of the island, where he enlisted to serve Spain's military forces against the French colony of Saint-Domingue.

I guess my point is that to overthrow a power sturcture, you generally need the backing of elements within that or another power structure. You cannot simply do it on your own. A modern example would be the total failure on the Hong Kong protests. Despite most of Hong Kong supporting it and massive protests it ended in the complete dismantling of democracy in Hong Kong and the arrests of protest leaders that even now gets extended to more and more minor members. The lack of any internal or external backing of elites with power meant that the protest couldn't accomplish anything despite popular support.

The current situation in the US is one where the opposition has nowhere near popular support (although it does actually enjoy more support among the upper class and especially billionaires). My advice to everyday normal people is to keep their head down and wait for an opportunity backed by the elite. Not to do something stupid and get yourself killed or imprisoned due to mere idealism (see Tiananmen or Hong Kong). There are plenty of wealhty and powerful individuals in opposition to Trump, and they will be the ones to create a meaningful resistance if such a thing comes about. A similar situation has emerged Ukraine. They are incapable of winning without external support and some of that is about to be cut off. They are beholden to the whims of the elite in two different power blocks.

I think many people allow themselves to fall into an is ought fallacy and believe a just world will emerge if you just keep doing the right thing regardless of actual circumstances. I argue for a more pragmatic approach.