Yes, the person who brings the baton down on your head is an oppressor. They can literally just quit if they don't want to be oppressors.
The goal of fighting oppression this way is to drive the number of willing participants down and keep as many of those contracts open/unfulfilled. Quiting vacates 1.
However, given the high cost of such a decision, the desired benefit tends to be attained, as there is always sufficient numbers of willing participants to bid on those vacancies. Every year people graduate, separate from the military, migrate here.
Fighting labor market dynamics is unscalable. Changing labor markets via political mechanisms on the other hand is.
Theoretically, sure. You're going to do this in Belarus, the most openly totalitarian state currently? The problem is that politically changing the dynamics is nigh impossible until the existing power structure is neutralized.
I'll agree that losing a living wage is a large difficulty, but reducing totalitarian oppression to market dynamics is callous, or biased. The larger situation demands action beyond rational choices.
peaceably: inclined or disposed to avoid strife or dissension; not argumentative or hostile:
assemble: gather together in one place for a common purpose.
step 1: go to ddg step 2: type "define peaceably" step 3: hit "enter" step 4: read the first or second definition in the results step 5: ????? step 6: profit
It’s interesting because the dictionary.com definition is very constrained.
Avoiding dissention, and not being ‘argumentative’ seem like a stretch for describing most peaceful protests in the US.
Or are the implications of this definition the issue?
> peaceably, adv.
> 2. Without being subject to disturbance or opposition; in peace, quietly; tranquilly, peacefully.
> 1375: Barbour Bruce v. 231 “It anoyis me.., That the clyffurd sa pesabilly Brukis and haldis the senȝory That suld be mine.”
> 1471: Fortescue Wks. (1869) 527 “Kynge Knoght kepte and occupied the same lande.., and died peasibly seased tharof.”
> 1593: Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iii. iii. 25 “Disturbe him not, let him passe peaceably.”
> 1727: De Foe Syst. Magic i. iii. (1840) 71 “We come to desire your leave, that we may go peaceably, and do the duty of our worship.”
> 1824: Mackintosh Speech 15 June, “They saw the laws obeyed, justice administered,..and the revenue peaceably collected.”
> peaceably, adv.
> 1. With peaceful or friendly disposition, intention, or behaviour; amicably; so as to make for or maintain peace; without making strife, opposition, or disturbance; without quarrel or dispute.
> c1330: R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 7300 “Ȝyf swylk be comen, & peysibly þe hauene han nomen, In pes lat þem take þer rest.”
> 1389: in Eng. Gilds (1870) 52 “Honestliche and peysiblyche to gon to þe forseyd chirch.”
> c1449: Pecock Repr. iii. xiii. (Rolls) 363 “Regniden in successioun euermore oon emperour after an other pesibili to gidere.”
> 1535: Coverdale Zach. viii. 16 “Execute iudgment truly and peaceably.”
> 1599: Shakes. Much Ado v. ii. 72 “Thou and I are too wise to wooe peaceablie.”
> 1599: Nashe Lenten Stuffe Wks. (Grosart) V. 228 “Not any where is..a warlike people peaceablier demeanourd.”
> 1709: Addison Tatler No. 96 2 “Good Subjects, that pay their Taxes, and live peaceably in their Habitations.”
> 1855: Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii. III. 190 “With assurances that the city should be peaceably surrendered.”
>peaceably, adv.
> 3. Comb.
> 1692: Wicked Contriv. Steph. Blackhead in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793) 512 “Some other good and peaceably-minded man.”
> 1781: Cowper Conversation 90 “The clash of arguments and jar of words,..Divert the champions prodigal of breath, And put the peaceably-disposed to death.”
Don't equivocate between the people protesting for their votes to be counted and the people kidnapping and torturing them in response.
It seems like there are millions of people in Belarus who are equivocating in some way.
I’m not questioning whether the dictator should go.
I’m saying that for each person in the situation, whatever their role, the calculus of what action to take is not black and white.
For example, by all accounts Lukashenko is backed by Putin. It could be that people are less scared of the police, and more scared of what could happen if they overthrow Lukashenko, and Putin sends in little green men to restore order.
That’s just one example of what people might be considering. I’m guessing there are also a bunch of people who simply don’t have a clear idea of exactly what’s going on.
[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-17/belarus-torture-prote...