THE CAUSES OF SOCIAL REVOLUTIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Ahmad Saiful Islam Bin Shamsudin

Specific Purpose:

To inform my audience about the different factors that influence social revolutions across the globe

Central Idea:

Social revolutions are caused by social oppression and abuse, economic depression and the spread of political ideologies through the media.

Introduction:

i. Imagine a world where human beings are treated as animals; where they are locked up in cages and have no access to food or clothes or clean water. Imagine a world where people are told what to do and are beaten up for their disobedience. Imagine an instance when our own states become our masters, and we all become unwilling slaves at the behest of an all-powerful, all-mighty, indestructible monster that we call our government. This is when people rebel; this is when people fight; and this is when social revolt happens.

ii. A social revolution can be defined as an instance whereby individuals, or small groups of individuals within society band together to oppose a higher ruling authority; namely, the government. This can be achieved through a wide range of methods including diplomatic processes such as elections or negotiations; or by more aggressive tactics such as street protests, militarization, or even by way of a violent coup d’état.

iii. Although some of you may not like the concept of social anarchy and rebellion, however I sincerely hope that all of you might find some time to listen to my speech today which contains some nuances of world and social history; as some of this information might prove useful to you. I obtained these facts and information from history books, websites and articles.

iv. In my speech today, I shall present 3 main causes of social revolutions across the globe, which are:

a. Social Oppression and Abuseb. Economic Depressionc. The Spread of Political Ideals and the Media

Transition:

If you would all be so kind as to allow me the privilege of starting my speech; I shall present my first main cause of social revolutions, which is social oppression and abuse.

Body:

I. Social oppression and abuse is a crucial factor of social revolt

a. Relationship between the state and its people

i. The purpose of a government is to ensure that its people can live their lives in the most conducive environment possible. A state must always ensure that its people can enjoy certain freedoms and rights so as to allow individuals to live happily and prosperously within society.

ii. If a government consistently oppresses and abuses its people, then they have failed in their duty to the public.

iii. A society that is fed up with a failing government will most likely rebel against the state in order to remove the failed system and replace it with a more adequate and responsible administration.

b. Abuse of power by the government

i. Sometimes, governments abuse their powers in order to serve other self-interests and not the concerns of the public. The ruling administration may use their authority to suppress the rights of society; such as what was done by President Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines during his leadership. Here, the government had ostensibly curbed socio-political rights, supported corrupt officials and defended police brutality onto opposition party members.

ii. As a consequence, this causes widespread dissatisfaction and anger within society. It is then only a matter of time before the public take a stand against bad governance; as in the Philippines, it took 6 years of Marcos’ authoritarian stewardship before the People Power Revolution was started against him.

c. Active oppression of society

i. Besides merely abusing their powers, governments can also actively discriminate members of society; that is, treating people differently based on race, religion or colour.

ii. This form of oppressive treatment is a direct infringement upon the rights of all human beings to be treated equally and it is highly immoral for states to subscribe to such bigotry.

iii. If a group within society has been systematically disenfranchised by their government, especially based on racial or religious lines; it is very likely that that group will rebel and seek to repair past injustices. For example, the discrimination of Kurdish people in Turkey, Syria and Iraq over the last three decades has greatly influenced the rise of the violent Kurdish nationalist rebellion in those areas.

II. Economic Depression

a. Importance of Economic Development

i. In the modern globalized world, financial sustainability is crucial for individuals within society, as a strong economy makes for a stable society.

ii. However, if a nation’s economy is in a horrendous state, this leads to an increase in social ills (such as crime and drug use); increasing unemployment and poverty; decreasing standards of living (including education and health) and general unhappiness within the population.

iii. The government is directly responsible for ensuring economic prudence and wellbeing for all of society to enjoy. If a government is complacent in this duty and the nation’s economy falters to a depressive state, then this plays a pivotal role in changing the mindsets of society.

b. Social Frustration and Dissatisfaction

i. When a government makes bad fiscal decisions and consequently, destroys a country’s economy; this may instigate a growing negative public sentiment towards the state.

ii. Then, the collective frustration and dissatisfaction amongst the public will increase pressure on the government to make changes to a nation’s economy.

iii. If a government is unwilling to change or to vacate its throne, this may further perpetuate aggressive tactics by the public in order to force out the state authority. This is evident during the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia (1987) and the Berlin street protests (1989) which were society’s reactions toward the poor economic life during the era of post-modern Communism in Eastern Europe.

c. Imposition of new systemi. Hence, after a society has overthrown the government, it is then imperative

that they look for a new system to replace the failed state.ii. What usually happens is that the people would elect or appoint a new

government which has different values and beliefs than its predecessor.iii. For example, the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela (2002) entailed the

election of a new left-wing socialist government, compared to the liberal democratic government that predated it. This was because the socialist leader, Hugo Chavez, was seen to be more financially prudent than the former ousted president.

III. The Spread of Political Ideals and the Media

a. The Influence of Political Philosophy

i. As in any academic field (like science and medicine), the development of politics and the genesis of new political ideas relies heavily upon the thoughts and opinions of philosophers, scholars and learned experts of the political arena.

ii. Hence, it comes as no surprise that political opinions and ideologies can spread throughout the world and be studied, manipulated, adopted and utilized by various societies and governmental systems.

iii. In an instance whereby a certain society is unhappy with the political structure of its government, it is likely that they will demand for a change of that structure. This can be a direct consequence of an external ideological influence from political scholars and philosophers.

iv. For example, the French Revolution in the 18th century was greatly prompted by the ideologies of philosophers like Jean Jacques Rosseau and Montesquie. They were the pioneers of the Enlightenment-era political ideology whereby the powers of the state should not rest with the Church or the aristocratic oligarchs; it should be by the command and mandate of the society.

b. The Power of the Media

i. In the context of a globalised world, the media has systematically played a huge part in the circulation of news and information across the globe. Also, the media has enabled millions of individuals to connect and engage in intellectual discussions on the internet; through social media networks and forums.

ii. When individuals have their freedoms suppressed by a bullying government, they are likely to use the media as a medium to voice out their discontent or to rally other individuals against the state.

iii. During the revolutions in the Arab Spring this year, in countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya; the internet played an important role in enabling people to voice their frustration at their dictatorial governments, as well as allowing the rebel movements (such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt) an avenue to reach out and mobilize social revolt. This was mostly done through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Conclusion:

I. Firstly, social revolt can be caused by social oppression and abuse. When a state fails in its duty to facilitate societal happiness and prosperity, through methods such as abusing their powers or actively oppressing members of the public; then it is likely that the people will directly rebel, retaliate and fight against that government.

II. Secondly, economic depression can also catalyze social revolution. Financial sustenance is a crucial element in order for society to live their lives adequately, and the lack of economic development can lead to feelings of anger and frustration toward the government. As such, this may lead to an imposition of a new system of governance to ensure better economic opportunities and growth.

III. Lastly, the spread of political ideals and the media also greatly influence social uprising. Ideologies that originate from political scholars and philosophers can propel societies to change their political system. Further, the media plays a huge part in allowing people to voice their concerns at the government and also provides rebel groups an avenue to mobilize social rebellion.

References:

i. Frey, Linda; Marsha Frey (2004). The French Revolution. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.

ii. Schirmer, Daniel B.; Shalom, Stephen Rosskamm (1987), The Philippines Reader: A History of Colonialism, Neocolonialism., South End Press, p. 225

iii. Christian Parenti, The Nation, 11 April 2005, "Hugo Chávez and Petro Populism"iv. Tauchen, Jaromír - Schelle, Karel etc.: The Process of Democratization of Law in the Czech

Republic (1989–2009). Rincon (USA), The American Institute for Central European Legal Studies 2009

v. Glenn, John K. “Competing Challengers and Contested Outcomes to State Breakdown: The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia”, September 1999.