[iak8god]

Hi. I just went off and read In Defense of Looting[1], which I'd never seen before, following its mention in your earlier post. It's fascinating. I think you should read it. It presents a very interesting perspective that many might not be familiar with and, despite the title, is not primarily a defense of looting.

Isn't this an interesting idea worth thinking about? "Looting is extremely dangerous to the rich (and most white people) because it reveals, with an immediacy that has to be moralized away, that the idea of private property is just that: an idea, a tenuous and contingent structure of consent, backed up by the lethal force of the state."

I don't think looting is a good idea, but I do think reading that essay is. Possibly Deeray McKesson felt the same way.

[1] http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/in-defense-of-looting/

[leereeves]

I've read it a few times.

"It is in solidarity with these latter protesters–along with those who loot–and against politicians and de-escalators everywhere that I offer this critique"

As someone who would like to see de-escalation before this all ends in civil war, the author has declared (correctly, I think) themselves against me.

It is, more than a mere defense of looting, an attack on capitalism and "white supremacy" (by which the author means American society in general, not extremist Neo-Nazis).

I'm as aware as anyone of the failures and injustices of capitalism, but merely taking what one wants isn't a sustainable solution.

[iak8god]

> It is, more than a mere defense of looting, an attack on capitalism and "white supremacy" (by which the author means American society in general, not extremist Neo-Nazis).

Right. Those are some of the reasons it's plausible that someone would recommend it with a more complex intention than "yay, looting."

[leereeves]

I'm sure countless sources could be found that present those arguments without also defending looting.

Perhaps one could even find sources that present a fair criticism of the flaws of other economic systems and the injustices perpetrated by other societies alongside the critique of capitalism and American history.

When a prominent activist like DeRay Mckesson recommends an article like In Defense of Looting, it's likely to encourage looting by some of his followers.