[andreiv]

I really don't like the Hollywood-style of describing the work on the fields: "But then, in another light, you see the tools of violence being carried into the fields: the steel crowbar, the ranga, for making holes in the earth, the axe with its bright and burnished edge, the cleft oak posts, the hoes, the hedge slashers – all the instruments with which management can be imposed. Cutting, controlling, slicing, hacking, killing: these are aspects of everyday existence". This is hardly a "Texas chainsaw massacre" pre/sequel.

Most of the people lack proper education. Everything "higher" as 4 school years is a "gift". The majority were children when WW2 broke out and saw their parents being striped of possession, such as lands. After the war came the communists, which did the same thing, again. These are people which have a deeply rooted passion for their ancestral land. The have, unfortunately, never learned to solve their problems in a civilized manner, because they haven't seen that in practice. They've mostly seen abuse and react the same way...

[buro9]

> never learned to solve their problems in a civilized manner, because they haven't seen that in practice

Oh they have. They've observed that the people with the most power (legal or otherwise), force, or money get what they want.

They've observed that the only way to not lose their land is to stand on it with weapons and physically confront those who would take it away from them.

[andreiv]

It really depends on how far the physical confrontation goes. You can't farm the land from prison. That's the "best case", when they go to prison. If they're wounded, for example, and can't move, they become a burden for the remaining family members.

I do agree that they are filled with hopelessness with regards to the legal process of solving problems. This falls into the same abuse category of loosing their lands, with the exception that it's not by force, but by law...