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In all honesty, I'd say the line between appropriate and inappropriate depends entirely against the injustice being fought. Revolution against the government/terrorism is murder, but justifiable against if the government in question is Hitler's Germany. During the civil rights era, sit ins were technically trespassing by refusing to leave. The Underground Railroad was abetting the escape of slaves. I guess I'd like to know what your thoughts are on those illegal activities.
The American Constitution was written by people who believed their aims could only be reached in their lifetimes by breaking the rules. The thing about standing in the town square waving a sign is that most of the time it doesn't work. I think that you know that, based on your comments about getting into politics or accepting that you've lost. So to what extent do you believe citizens are enabled to seek effective political change outside of an election cycle?
According to the latest political poll, 52% of the public disapprove of ICE, 39% approve, and 10% have no opinion. To what extent is the government obligated to respect the wishes of the people? Is there some level of unpopularity to which Trump should change course? Does a citizen have any recourse if he doesn't?
That's a lot lower than I thought it would be. Sure, regarding public opinion, 40% of that is "strongly disagree"... but then, how much of that is distinct from the anger that the government would take their slaves away to begin with?
So like what ICE is doing now, basically (though yes, a lack of intent to escape is irrelevant in this case; you will be "freed" regardless). In fact, they're going into the places where the slaves are and removing them from their owners (ostensibly, the <52% of the American public that feels they gain material benefit from their presence) with violence from/against slave-owners being a very narrow exception, not the rule. I mean, what, about 20 dead for 2 million deported? A 1:100,000 KDR [so to speak] for an armed operation of this type and size is absurdly successful.
I'm sure John Brown would be proud, if somewhat conflicted- and I find it ironic that the people who go out of their way to name their organizations after him are actually the ones most aligned with the historic Confederate cause, while the losers of the resulting Civil War over it are now proud Unionists (who fly the flags of its vanquished enemies in its defense [lol wtf?]). Of course, the CSA was formed by people who believed their aims could only be reached in their lifetimes by breaking the rules, too- it's just that they lost, so they're the bad guys. I think that's how that works.
It's a State's Rights [to keep slaves] issue.
They can use the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, or the ammo box (or other boxes of that type; like the pedal box). They're all legal to keep and bear for this purpose, and all 4 have been used in this conflict, on both sides. (And yes, the fact that the citizens that want this are existentially in conflict with the ammo box, and that's inextricably linked to their decision to retain slaves, is relevant. The people who would normally be depended on to use the ammo box are all strongly in favor of anti-slavery measures.)
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Sometimes you reach a point where no more accommodation is possible, when you wage war on your own society (revolution). When that time comes, all bets are off.
Before that, well, that's hard. Emotionally, morally, there are things I approve of and I don't approve of. Arguably, I am doing sabotage already by quietly working to direct my employer towards business directions that I approve of and away from directions that I don't approve of. I'm a child of my culture and my age, and I can't be otherwise.
Intellectually, I believe in the case above - that you simply cannot run a country on the principle that 'the line between appropriate and inappropriate depends entirely against the injustice being fought'. A country simply doesn't work when everyone feels entitled to have an opinion on matters over their pay grade. I worked in Japan for many years and in many ways I miss it bitterly, because it worked and the reason it worked was that people acted together towards a common goal without individually deciding whether to permit it, subvert it or oppose it.
British schools used to be pretty unpleasant, and they taught children very sternly about Honour and Duty and Honesty. After WW1 and WW2 and it was suggested that this teaching had turned Englishmen into sheep, ready to be slaughtered, and the teaching system was repurposed towards self-confidence and self-expression. Japan has a pretty similar system today, though explicitly pacifistic. They teach children to fit in and to work together and not to put themselves above the group, and by all accounts that teaching can be pretty unpleasant too. But it helped make Britain great and it seemed to work pretty well for Japan, and I think any answers to our current omnicrisis have to address the fact that we have been made ungovernable by the philosophy you describe.
Which makes me a rebel and a hypocrite, so I can't really answer your question, but at least I'm not blockading the police.
I would say that the entirety of America's history has operated on this principle, and it has endured. It came close to failing during the civil war, but Motte pessimism aside, I don't think we're near that level yet. I would argue that the Civil Rights protests is an example of people manipulating the levers of public opinion through civil disruption and some intentional lawbreaking, and not it only did it not tear society apart, it was a pretty significant success.
I would say that your view inherently holds that the state is just, and by just I mean that your highest ideal is order. This represents an inherent trust in authority, which let's say a Russian wouldn't share. America is inherently founded on a certain distrust in authority.
I also have a question about "matters over their pay grade." Right now the scientific consensus is that gender affirmation is good and life saving. Now the general view of the Motte, and one I to some degree with, is that the doctors are ideologically captured. But some places have gone to the level that not affirming your child is legally considered child abuse. So whose pay grade is it to make these decisions? The doctors? The legislators? The parents? And to what degree does the parent have the right to not comply if they believe this is unjust?
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