Is the U.S. an Illiberal State?

In class the other day we read "Civil Disobedience" by Joseph Raz and he gives an interesting description of what he calls liberal and illiberal states. A liberal state is one where the government does not restrict political participation on the part of the citizens. An illiberal state does the opposite; it violates this right to political participation.
Now, you don't need to be a democracy to be a liberal state, as Raz explains. Therefore, even though the United States does have a democratic system, it is still illiberal. I believe that de facto inhibitors to voting such as Voter ID laws and Corporate spending on campaigns does in fact inhibit the right of political participation. Even though neither, in their description, restrict people from voting, they do just that. And, because the government is the entity which promulgates these laws, that would then make the U.S. an Illiberal State.

The Cristero War and Non-Violent Clericalism

     During the 1920s in Mexico, a vigorous anti-Catholic movement swept Mexican politics and alienated a large portion of the Mexican population. As a result, there was a mix of backlash against the government that included violent revolution and civil disobedience. The clergy specifically engaged in more civilly disobedient acts rather than violent. The reasons for this, which I argue in my paper, come from their duty as Catholic Christians.
      Jesus' directives in the New Testament to "turn the other cheek" and to carry someone's pack the extra mile reflect not actual pacifism  but rather an aspect of shame. The cultural context surrounding these statements explains that those actions attempt to publicly expose the error of the oppressor. Likewise, in the case of the Cristero priests, they were following in that main directive to expose the injustice of their oppressors rather than fight it head on.
      Furthermore, the encyclical written by Pope Pius XI, Iniquis Afflictisque calls for peace in the situation and condemned violence. This message from the Holy Father clearly implies that there should be opposition to the anti-clericalism of the Mexican government but not outright violence.
   
   Thought not a very lengthy analysis, this paper will show how based on their own religious traditions, the priests of Mexico in the 1920s should not, and did not, act with violence.

Your Discipline, Your Teaching Career, Your Pupils

We discussed in class today whether or not teachers who live in districts where Intelligent Design is mandated should actually teach it. The class also concluded that due to the non-public nature of the disobedience as well as the presence of children, this teacher should merely go along with the status quo. However, there was the question of the "respect of the discipline --meaning that biology teachers have an obligation to teach the truths of their subject, and therefore should only teach evolution.

However, I believe that there is a different course of action that teachers should take. even though this action isn't civil disobedience. The teachers that are required to teach Intelligent Design should resign from their position as educators in these school systems. Hopefully, with several teachers dropping out of the school system, it will send a message that the actual biology community does not condone the teaching of Intelligent Design.

It may be rough for teachers to leave their profession, but they have an ultimate obligation to the truths of their discipline and an expectation to not corrupt the minds of the youth. Even though this plan of action is not civil disobedience, it still sends a similarly effective message.

Human Rights and Humanity

    We had quite the contentious discussion in class today, and the question of the removal of human rights I find very interesting. Can someone's human rights be removed; what if that person is a psychopath of sociopath? I think that the answer is no, and hopefully I can explain why.

    Understanding Human Rights is a two part issue. The first is the concept of inalienability. Inalienable means unable to be transfered. By this definition, the rights that humans have cannot be transfered away from said person. Furthermore, Human Rights are an essential component of what it means to be human. By this, I am saying that by the very virtue of being human, someone is imbued with these rights: they are not earned. When the two concepts are taken together, it is impossible for someone to lose these rights.

    When I discussed this topic outside of class with someone, they brought up whether sociopaths or psychopaths could have their rights removed. We said in class, however, that there is not enough information on these conditions to pass judgement. Well, I think I have the answer. Being a psychopath or a sociopath makes a person no less human than you or I. Last time I checked, if you were born of two human parents...you're human. End of story.

Civil Disobedience in an American History Context

In one of the great quirks of MCLA, I actually had the Thoreau reading due for the same week in two different classes: here in Civil Disobedience and for my History of American Radicalism as well. So, I thought I'd briefly explore civil disobedience in an American context.

Throughout my Radicalism class, though not ascribing to American exceptionalism, we looked at some unique factors that contributed to America's maverick streak. European Enlightenment concepts took somewhat of a twist when they were brought to America. Individual liberty was skewed often into wariness of the government. As a result, it has been in the American psyche ever since to resist government. This anti-government sentiment was extolled in conflicts such as Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts and the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania.

So, though not directly related to these violent concepts, and even though Thoreau wants a working government, he is still wary of the results of government. Therefore, when looking at America's radical tradition, the concepts that Thoreau writes about make perfect sense in the scope of American history.

The success of Nonviolence

   In class last week we talked about how surprisingly effective nonviolent protest actually is. When the discussion came up, my mind immediately jumped to my research on the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike.
   The IRA (an Irish Republican Paramilitary) that was active in Northern Ireland since the 70s had several of it's members imprisoned by the British government. These men were being treated as common criminals rather than political prisoners. And so, to attempt to gain the status as political prisoners, they attempted a hunger strike.
    The IRA was always known for it's violent tactics, yet they never seemed effective in promoting Irish Republicanism or their political wing, Sinn Fein. However, after the deaths of 10 IRA hunger strikers, things started to change. Sinn Fein members were elected to several political seats across the U.K. and Northern Ireland and public opinion changed drastically.
    In summation, I just find it fascinating how a short few month long hunger strike was infinitely more effective than years of murders, bombings and sporadic violence by the IRA.

A Bit of an Introduction

     Hello everyone! I suppose before we get into the nitty-gritty of the world of civil disobedience, it might be reasonable to introduce myself!
     My name is Stephan and I currently attend Massachusetts College of Liberal arts and I am a double History and Philosophy major. I'm a bit of a nerd (well, I'm really nerdy) and I'm a serious Catholic. Some say that my faith blinds me to other opinions, especially while discussing philosophy. However, I think that especially in this class, I should be able to apply it in a positive way while still being open to the ideas of others.
    I suppose by reading my future posts you'll come to know a bit more about me. What I chose to write about, the comments I make and everything else will most likely paint an accurate picture of who I am, what I believe, and the things that I struggle with. I hope you keep reading and I'm looking forward to reading and following your blogs!

Sláinte,
Stephan