A thought: The term "cycle of violence" is one of those truths people use to lie with. There are Serbs and Croats, Apaches and Comanches, where the ongoing reciprocal nature of violence is as good a description as any. But the term is abused when one tribe is the most frequent aggressor, sometimes over centuries. It is especially infuriating when one side exercises some self-control and fair play, however imperfectly, and is also more powerful, so that it wins most conflicts - while its opponent shows no self-control and keeps losing, always excusing themselves that they have suffered more. Losing wars is bad luck for your future prospects, and losing them repeatedly is worse luck.
Consider a person who has a head injury and thus more prone to violence. I've dealt with many. There are ways to contain such people that are much less violent and thus less agitating. When we know them we should use them. Wouldn't it be great if we all acted optimally in every situation? Cops shouldn't unnecessarily piss people off if they can help it. There are oppressive police forces who are the aggressors, but even then the "cycle" of violence is usually confined to the few. In most situations, some one or some group is on offense and another is on defense.
The concept of cycle of violence usually reduces the emphasis on choice for only one side, thus excusing them. They couldn't help it, you see. Their "oppressors" are regarded as having full choice, with no mitigating circumstances.
2 comments:
The public perception of a cycle of violence is deeply affected when one side is disorganized and the other is organized. Sometimes provocative petty attacks (thefts, assaults, rapes, solitary murders) are not noticed or are perceived as disconnected events, whereas the backlash or crackdown is noticed and perceived as excessive. At other times the petty attacks are framed as simple crime, and thus have their political meaning erased. Adding to the confusion is the fact that many, perhaps most, individuals on both sides of the tribal conflict are barely conscious of its existence, and do not participate as agents or victims.
The preceding comment from Unknown is from JMSmith. I don't know if the difficulty results from changes in your comment protocol or changes in my online identity connected with retirement.
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