Enig inzicht in hoe opstanden en revoluties praktisch werken, is geen overbodige luxe bij het bestuderen van de twintigste eeuw. Daarom hieronder een aantal leerzame citaten, observaties uit het verhaal “A Brief, Yet Helpful, Guide to Civil Disobedience” van Woody Allen:
- ‘In perpetrating a revolution, there are two requirements: someone or something to revolt against and someone to actually show up and do the revolting. Dress is usually casual and both parties may be flexible about time and place but if either faction fails to attend, the whole enterprise is likely to come off badly.’
- ‘The people or parties revolted against are called the “oppressors” and are easily recognized as they seem to be the ones having all the fun. The “oppressors” generally get to wear suits, own land, and play their radios late at night without being yelled at. Their job is to maintain the “status quo,” a condition where everything remains the same although they may be willing to paint every two years.’
- ‘The groups who revolt are called the “oppressed” and can generally be seen milling about and grumbling or claiming to have headaches. (It should be noted that the oppressors never revolt and attempt to become the oppressed as that would entail a change of underwear.)’
- ‘It should be noted that after a revolution is over, the “oppressed” frequently take over and begin acting like the “oppressors”. Of course by then it is very hard to get them on the phone and money lent for cigarettes and gum during the fighting may as well be forgotten about.’
- ‘The key point about a demonstration is that it must be seen. Hence the term “demonstration”. If a person demonstrates privately in his own home, this this is not technically a demonstration but merely “acting silly” or “behaving like an ass”.’
Meer lezen?
- Voor Woody Allen-haters: Sla de tip hieronder over
- Voor Woody Allen-fans: Lees het hele verhaal “A Brief, Yet Helpful, Guide to Civil Disobedience” (dit verscheen in de bundel Without Feathers (1972) en onlangs opnieuw in de - veel dikkere - bundel The Insanity Defense. The Complete Prose, die ook het leerzame verhaal “Viva Vargas! Excerpts from the Diary of a Revolutionary” bevat)
- Voor iedereen: Verdiep je eens in bijvoorbeeld Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution (een paar jaar geleden in het Nederlands verschenen als Over revolutie)
Heeft u nog nuttige wenken of literatuurtips over revolutie? Reageer dan svp hieronder.
Meer over ‘1917 - Rusland’:
- Bekijk de hele uitzending ‘1917 - Rusland’
- Lees alle weblogberichten over 1917
- Vind meer video, audio en artikelen op de In Europa Atlas: 1917
