Looting as a Form of Protest

 

After his arrest during a protest in Santa Monica, actor Cole Sprouse took to Instagram to declare that “peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”

Looting would be “legitimate” only if people were not individuals but categories defined by their race, sex, or creed. If Derek Chauvin isn’t “individual police officer who used excessive force and killed George Floyd,” but rather “all white people,” then punishing “all white people” by looting stores owned by “all white people” might be “an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”

As it is however, looting just adds more individual people to the list of victims.

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  1. Duke Powell Coolidge
    Duke Powell
    @AmbulanceDriver

    Happy to say that, due to the fact I watch very little television, I have never heard of Cole Sprouse. Now that I’ve looked him up, I’ll do my best to forget about him.

    I

    • #1
  2. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    Absolutely. This inability to see people as individuals is, in my opinion, the single most dangerous and destructive force in society today. It underlies almost every problem we have. Unfortunately, humans seem hard-wired to think that way.

    • #2
  3. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    The various attempts to legitimize looting and rioting are the most disturbing aspect of the last several days, aside from the looting and rioting itself.  We all recognize how radical ideas seep into the culture on an incremental basis until they are accepted, and I’m guessing this is another one.  If these activities are not already seen as permissible, it won’t take that long until they’re just part of protest.

    • #3
  4. Richard Fulmer Inactive
    Richard Fulmer
    @RichardFulmer

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. (View Comment):
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.

    Meh. You Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jrs are all alike. (Just kidding. Some of my best friends are Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jrs).

    • #4
  5. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Personally I am feeling a bit like a sucker in that I did not go get the free stuff that was available for anybody enterprising enough to do so.  

    • #5
  6. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    It is common knowledge the way to fight for social justice is to break storefront windows and steal big screen televisions.

    The goal posts are moving daily.

    Next stop: Rioters and looters must be paid a “living wage” for their hard work breaking and stealing things.

    • #6
  7. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    I guess I have to stop watching Riverdale.

    • #7
  8. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    Richard Fulmer (View Comment):

    Meh. You Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jrs are all alike. (Just kidding. Some of my best friends are Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jrs).

    That’s Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvies, Jr. It’s amazing how often people make that mistake.

    • #8
  9. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Looting would be “legitimate” only if people were not individuals but categories defined by their race, sex, or creed. If Derek Chauvin isn’t “individual police officer who used excessive force and killed George Floyd,” but rather “all white people,” then punishing “all white people” by looting stores owned by “all white people” might be “an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”

    What, then, does one call looting stores owned by “all black” people? 

    • #9
  10. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Personally I am feeling a bit like a sucker in that I did not go get the free stuff that was available for anybody enterprising enough to do so.

    74 cars stolen from a dealership in the bay area. Forget the tennis shoes, getting the good stuff now.

    • #10
  11. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    If they want to loot, and they want to smash, and they want to express their legitimate rage against injustice, and they don’t believe that the owner of the property has any right to it, wouldn’t it be simpler if they just went into their own homes and smashed everything? Throw their grandmother’s dishes against the wall, throw a chair through their flat-screen, pitch their iMac Pro through the picture window?

    If it doesn’t matter, why not start right where they are?

    • #11
  12. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    This country was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and property. Violate one, you lose the others.

    • #12
  13. Richard Fulmer Inactive
    Richard Fulmer
    @RichardFulmer

    One of American abolitionists’ main arguments against slavery was that it denies people the fruits of their labor.  Looting, smashing, and burning property do the same thing.

    Fredrick Douglass once wrote:

    A slavemaster claims he is entitled to the entire fruits of a slave’s labor because he owns the human being.  But there is a radical idea called self-ownership. That is the concept that each individual has exclusive “ownership” over themselves… When it comes to labor, self-ownership means you own 100% of the products of your labor.

    By Douglass’ definition, those who claim they are entitled to steal or destroy another’s property are no better than the slave masters.

    • #13
  14. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    The Scarecrow (View Comment):

    If they want to loot, and they want to smash, and they want to express their legitimate rage against injustice, and they don’t believe that the owner of the property has any right to it, wouldn’t it be simpler if they just went into their own homes and smashed everything? Throw their grandmother’s dishes against the wall, throw a chair through their flat-screen, pitch their iMac Pro through the picture window?

    If it doesn’t matter, why not start right where they are?

    They don’t believe the owner of the property has any right to it……unless they are the owner of the property.

    • #14
  15. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Richard Fulmer (View Comment):

    One of American abolitionists’ main arguments against slavery was that it denies people the fruits of their labor. Looting, smashing, and burning property do the same thing.

    Fredrick Douglass once wrote:

    A slavemaster claims he is entitled to the entire fruits of a slave’s labor because he owns the human being. But there is a radical idea called self-ownership. That is the concept that each individual has exclusive “ownership” over themselves… When it comes to labor, self-ownership means you own 100% of the products of your labor.

    By Douglass’ definition, those who claim they are entitled to steal or destroy another’s property are no better than the slave masters.

    How many times can I like your comment @richardfulmer, and Fredrick Douglass. Here I thought that the concept of the individual’s own work and ideas are the most basic unit of private property, and that without the right to own those basic units, we are all slaves–well I thought that was my idea. At least I am in good company.

    • #15
  16. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Bob W (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Personally I am feeling a bit like a sucker in that I did not go get the free stuff that was available for anybody enterprising enough to do so.

    74 cars stolen from a dealership in the bay area. Forget the tennis shoes, getting the good stuff now.

    I could use a good car

    • #16
  17. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Bob W (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Personally I am feeling a bit like a sucker in that I did not go get the free stuff that was available for anybody enterprising enough to do so.

    74 cars stolen from a dealership in the bay area. Forget the tennis shoes, getting the good stuff now.

    I could use a good car

    Those are already in pieces.

     

    • #17
  18. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Richard Fulmer (View Comment):

    One of American abolitionists’ main arguments against slavery was that it denies people the fruits of their labor. Looting, smashing, and burning property do the same thing.

    Fredrick Douglass once wrote:

    A slavemaster claims he is entitled to the entire fruits of a slave’s labor because he owns the human being. But there is a radical idea called self-ownership. That is the concept that each individual has exclusive “ownership” over themselves… When it comes to labor, self-ownership means you own 100% of the products of your labor.

    By Douglass’ definition, those who claim they are entitled to steal or destroy another’s property are no better than the slave masters.

    That would make a fine Quote of the Day.

    • #18
  19. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Richard Fulmer: After his arrest during a protest in Santa Monica, actor Cole Sprouse took to Instagram to declare that “peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”

    OK, so did he give out his address so we can steal his stuff and burn his house down? . . . For the cause, of course.

    • #19
  20. Richard Fulmer Inactive
    Richard Fulmer
    @RichardFulmer

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Richard Fulmer: After his arrest during a protest in Santa Monica, actor Cole Sprouse took to Instagram to declare that “peace, riots, looting, are an absolutely legitimate form of protest.”

    OK, so did he give out his address so we can steal his stuff and burn his house down? . . . For the cause, of course.

    He’s entitled to his opinion.  Harassing people at their homes is the Left’s schtick.  

    • #20
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