Revolution

 Yesterday I was listening to the soundtrack for Les Miserables while I was mowing my yard.  I was reminded how good it was, and then noticed how it applied to current events.  

I was struck by the revolutionaries commitment to their cause, up to the point of expecting to die for it.  I couldn't help but compare that to the attitudes of the recent campus revolutionaries who demand free tents, Door Dash, no consequences, and instant gratification.   Given Gen Z's lack of ability to build things, I can't see any of these kids building a barricade, let alone dying behind it.   We saw the video of some of these warriors cosplaying with bike helmets and shields made from cut down plastic trash cans rushing toward the police, with their faces bravely hidden, and then trip and fall.  Seems like a metaphor for the whole thing.   

It reminds me of John Crist's bit about Gen Z having to fight in a real war.   He points out how absurd it is to expect a generation with peanut allergies, to deal with the hardships of battle.   

Finally, I was drawn to the realization that revolutions almost always end badly.  The French Revolution degenerated into massive bloodshed and eventually claimed it's leaders as causalities.    This seems obvious by the fact that we see "Queers or Trans for Palestine", and American women "converting" to Islam.   What in the world would motivate someone to support a worldview in which you are automatically deemed a second class citizen, and denied rights?   Further, what would motivate anyone to support a worldview that openly admits that you would be killed for your "sexual or gender orientation".   It's like seeing a sign for "Negros for the Klan" back in the '60s.    It just doesn't make sense.  

It's kind of shocking to see these revolutionaries going to such lengths to hide their identities or otherwise avoid the consequences of their actions.   Or to see their genuine shock when they realize that they've pissed away years and dollars for a degree they will likely never get.   The thing that gets revolutionaries respect, is their willingness to accept the consequences of their actions.  From the US founders, to the characters in Les Miserables, to the Civil Rights protesters, the willingness to put something of value on the line and to risk death for your cause is the hallmark of someone committed to a cause and not just jumping on a trend.   I fully disagree with Hamas, and find them and their actions to be vile and reprehensible.  Yet, I can also acknowledge their commitment to their evil cause even to the point of death.   It's too bad this recent generation of faux revolutionaries will never learn this.