Response 2

The first three, India, US, and South Africa have been successful in effectively resisting the temptation to take up arms against the enemy. The concept of a nonviolent movement initially has the idea of the people disliking the current regime in hopes of the next one to be better. A reason that makes nonviolent movements more able is because of their appeal to a more broader and diverse crowd. Personal sacrifice is lowered for many rather than the risk and fear of a violent approach. There can be an idea as to how the next regime will be by how the current one is taken over by. Are the people being taken over, power seized and maintained by force or are they able to be persuaded in a nonviolent way?

The mind and voice of Mohandas Gandhi for India, was a strong point in successful resistance by boycotting, protest marching, fasting, and other tactics. His Salt March was a great episode of resistance against the British. Nelson Mandela helped bring an end to the apartheid in South Africa. Another purpose for a nonviolent movement is to rally public support and effect change. Mahatma Ghandi “We should meet abuse by forbearance,” he said. “Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop” (Chenoweth, 2011). Nonviolent resistance tends to have an irregular form to warfare. They realize dictators predictably rely on using force to gain an advantage. This makes it more plausible to accomplish the goals of a nonviolent movement by “It’s best to fight the enemy where you have an advantage — in this case, people power, unpredictability, adaptability, and creativity — rather than where he does” (Chenoweth, 2011).

Failure of the three movements surged from lack of leadership and organization. Russia was met with too many different parties trying to gain power and be a giant communist controlled country. The Green Movement in Iran felt its’ failures from multiple arrests, courts and jail time. Also, there was confusion on whether it was geared to dismantle the ruling regime or based on the slogan “Where’s Is My Vote” (2013, Dabashi). Mousavi, main leader of the movement eventually was put under house arrest and silenced. Arab Springs had started to make progress but the president Morsi worsened the situation. The Islamic-dominated parliament was reestablished and relations with the military got worse.  

Think Again: Nonviolent Resistance

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/MAGAZINE-why-the-arab-spring-failed-1.5392190
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/05/201351661225981675.html