“One eats, another watches; that’s how revolutions are born”, Turkish proverb
“Social and economic injustice brews violence”, Nazim Rahman
What do French Revolution, Russian Revolution, and Arab Spring have in common? They were all preceded by protests demanding social and economic justice. The situation became so unbearable for the common man that he was willing to go out in the streets and face a fully armed military. Widespread poverty was a key driver. Masses of people who could no longer put food on the table to feed their children decided that the only hope for the survival of their family is to change the government. Feeling that they have nothing to lose, they faced the authorities including the armed forces. Violence followed. Leaders were dethroned.
If we want to live in a peaceful society, we need to ensure that we have a legal justice system that treats everyone fairly. Every government in the world tries to pass laws that marginalize different groups of people in one way or another. We need to recognize these efforts and resist them because minor negative changes accumulate over time and their accumulated impact is usually only noticeable well into the future after much damage has been done. Social services are also critical to a peaceful society. When people are desperate to fulfill their basic needs, lawlessness and crime increases. When desperation become widespread among a specific group of people, collective participation in violent activities becomes a possible outcome.
It is often argued that the poor are poor because they are lazy. I beg to disagree. Often the poor are poor because they were denied opportunities to progress, don’t have any money management skills, or are suffering from some kind of addictions. Every human being deserves a life of dignity and access to basics in life. Deny them dignity and basics and you are planting the seeds of future violence that will impact everyone in the society.