Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Riots Against an Elected Government Are Not the Same as Riots Against a Dictator

The ongoing occupations, street battles, and riots by mobs of protesters in Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela are not justified.

I don't care for any of those governments.  And I supported the ouster of the dictatorships in each of those countries.  But using the same tactics against an elected government - which plans to hold the next elections on schedule, in the usual way - is wrong.

Parliamentary systems are a little different than ours, in that public protest could force an early election.  But the protests themselves need to remain peaceful, or they lose their moral claim.