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booksonabike's review against another edition
5.0
This book didn't change my opinion on riots and looting. But, I supported there use by the oppressed to get attention and retaliation. In the modern case, they are being used to draw attention to the murders of Black people, because some white people are more enraged by the destruction of a Target, than a Black life.
What this book added for me is a more historical understanding of how looting and riots have been used in the past. It chronicles a lot of violence against Blacks in America, as well as other minorities, such as the Chinese Americans in the turn of the century. This helps round out the very white washed history of our country that I learned in school. It also gave me a head full of more topics that I want to delve deeper into, such as the Combahee River Raid.
Another focus of the book, is how main media outlets, have been the white voice inciting violence, and bending the story to suit police or the white government along the way. A good example of this is the Tulsa Race Riot which was encouraged by the newspaper printing instructions the day it started to lynch Black people that night. Lynching images were published often in papers and "serve to normalize white supremacist violence."
Police have also participated in or stood idle and allowed white riots throughout American History, just as they do today, when armed proud boys are making a scene.
What this book added for me is a more historical understanding of how looting and riots have been used in the past. It chronicles a lot of violence against Blacks in America, as well as other minorities, such as the Chinese Americans in the turn of the century. This helps round out the very white washed history of our country that I learned in school. It also gave me a head full of more topics that I want to delve deeper into, such as the Combahee River Raid.
Another focus of the book, is how main media outlets, have been the white voice inciting violence, and bending the story to suit police or the white government along the way. A good example of this is the Tulsa Race Riot which was encouraged by the newspaper printing instructions the day it started to lynch Black people that night. Lynching images were published often in papers and "serve to normalize white supremacist violence."
Police have also participated in or stood idle and allowed white riots throughout American History, just as they do today, when armed proud boys are making a scene.
cloudss's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
interesting view of civil rights movement and non non violent resistance. great start to answer to main objections to looting from the jump. interesting reframing of rioting. tulsa part was most surprising and did enjoy the discussion around it. bit too much I can't comment on this bc am not black from the author but otherwise enjoyable
majkf's review against another edition
5.0
i can see why racists are pissing their pants over this book and i love it
so informative and gracefully steeped in revolutionary theory that weaves the history of property & protest with criticism of the ahistorical contemporary narratives that serve to suppress social movements
will definitely be adding to my list of books to return to over and over
so informative and gracefully steeped in revolutionary theory that weaves the history of property & protest with criticism of the ahistorical contemporary narratives that serve to suppress social movements
will definitely be adding to my list of books to return to over and over
thefriendlyabyss's review against another edition
5.0
The severe reaction towards this book and Vicky’s arguments within seem to offer at least some evidence of the merits of her point. Theft of property and more specifically looting is seen today as a sin more serious than murder and often marks the person who engages in such act as marked for death.
The unwillingness of many to question why we value stuff more than people’s lives is only outshone by the all the subtle and less subtle ways the system brutally keeps people in line. It’s the age old conundrum that an ideal world doesn’t require police or the military or corporations or even government. Perfect examples of all of these institutions would be outfits engaged in the mission of working towards their own demise.
It’s a wonder why the system fights back so forcibly. As Vicky as illustrated here, there is no form of legitimate protest. “Legitimate” protests aren’t at all. Progress has never been made without making people vastly uncomfortable.
The unwillingness of many to question why we value stuff more than people’s lives is only outshone by the all the subtle and less subtle ways the system brutally keeps people in line. It’s the age old conundrum that an ideal world doesn’t require police or the military or corporations or even government. Perfect examples of all of these institutions would be outfits engaged in the mission of working towards their own demise.
It’s a wonder why the system fights back so forcibly. As Vicky as illustrated here, there is no form of legitimate protest. “Legitimate” protests aren’t at all. Progress has never been made without making people vastly uncomfortable.
neladon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
boritabletennis's review against another edition
5.0
For such a short book, it has a wealth of historical details that I had never heard about before in my life. For example, the decades between the Civil War and WWI were by and large empty stretches of time. Unsurprisingly, a lot happened in these years. That's just one example. If you want a historically grounded study of the role of looting and the riot in the context of struggles against white supremacy and economic exploitation in the United States, this is a fantastic place to start. I say the United States because the book is focused there, but the contents are probably relevant wherever capitalism's racist settler colonial nation-states are found.
Given that this includes pretty much all of the states between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, plus South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and who knows how many more, you might want to pick this one up. Vicky centers the Black liberation movement in the US throughout the book, but the various slaver colonies who thrived on the Transatlantic Slave Trade were not hermetically sealed, so I suspect that anyone looking at struggles against other slaver states will find this book particularly interesting.
And last but not least, the bibliography looks yummy as hell!
Given that this includes pretty much all of the states between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, plus South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and who knows how many more, you might want to pick this one up. Vicky centers the Black liberation movement in the US throughout the book, but the various slaver colonies who thrived on the Transatlantic Slave Trade were not hermetically sealed, so I suspect that anyone looking at struggles against other slaver states will find this book particularly interesting.
And last but not least, the bibliography looks yummy as hell!
nb_leftist's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I agree with the whole book.