The current events in the United States aren’t anything particularly new, and photographs of riots, violence on the streets along with peaceful marches on Washington have been commonplace since the 1968 cultural revolution and the Vietnam War
In 1992, Los Angeles was burning in riots that lasted for six days resulted in shops were looted, dozens of people killed, and police cars burned. The reason? The brutal assault on African American Rodney King by the police.
Barack Obama’s presidency had not healed the wounds of racial division in the U.S. and unsurprisingly so. After all, an original sin is one whose traces will never disappear.
I believe that the U.S. has the most perfect democratic system of government, which of course doesn’t mean the country is perfect.
What is happening today on American streets may take an even worse turn in Europe, where the traditions of street riots and susceptibility to communist and fascist ideas is much stronger than in the US.
We are outraged that the statue of Tadeusz Kościuszko in Washington was defaced, despite him being a fighter against racism who was ahead of his times.
The protestors did not know this, and even if they did, they would bury it deep in their minds. They simply wanted to bring down a statue in Washington — a symbolic and real one. These revolutionary moods will be strongly supported by those who benefit from adding fuel to the fire.
What is happening today on American streets may take an even worse turn in Europe, where the traditions of street riots and susceptibility to communist and fascist ideas is much stronger than in the U.S., which is a country where the idea of freedom is much stronger than here. Private property protected by the Second Amendment and laws that make it nearly impossible for a military junta to form make it difficult for revolutionists to take power.
Europe is different. The streets of Paris, Rome or Madrid can easily be filled by young, angry and unemployed people who lost perspective and hope due to Covid-19.
This is not only what Antifa has been waiting for, but also the neo-fascists. The American streets show that only a spark is needed to light a wildfire.
And this wildfire will undoubtedly benefit two powerful countries East of the burning Eden.
Title image: Demonstrators vent to police in riot gear as they protest the death of George Floyd, Saturday, May 30, 2020, near the White House in Washington, AP.
