I need to read Thoreau again Walden’s pond is past due
“If the injustice is part of the necessary friction of the machine of government, let it go, let it go: perchance it will wear smooth,—certainly the machine will wear out. If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley, or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself, then perhaps you may consider whether the remedy will not be worse than the evil; but if it is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.” —Thoreau https://www.gutenberg.org/files/71/71-h/71-h.htm
Discussion
It’s very interesting to read and re-read this material. And I’m currently on a civil war kick, reading several novels on the topic (fav so far is hymns of the republic by SC Gwynne). I’m 1849 when Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience, the union was tearing itself apart. The Democratic Party was fractured between North and South primarily on the issue of slavery, westward expansion was in full swing as we ravaged Indian lands and captured lands from Mexico. Thoreau mentions both topics in this paper and was clearly thinking deep about the atrocities his government was commiting and his role as a citizen of it. Was he “complicit” by taking no action to stop these sins? He could be read as an “activist” and is ready to go to jail for his beliefs, which is quite laudable, yet he also seems to be one of those people who just wants the government to leave him alone. I can relate to that mix of feelings.
What are your thoughts today, nostr:npub1unsnfxtxsht58arcpq3d34rskx99zln79axv9v4awq5ar5sguv6qk68r2y ?
This is so applicable to our age I struggle with how to fight against the system in the form of non violence. So I try and gather people of like mined and educate. I talked to my barbershop about them taking bitcoin he loved the decentralized aspects of it he is already a peeper so many things
Resonates. It always feels a bit to hard but I figure you just try and save your self then your family and finally your community and hope you and everyone else did there best.