[anigbrowl]

Indeed. American liberalism (in the most general rather than partisan sense) has for decades tied itself to the ideal of nonviolence. In practice means that it favors orderly incumbency (however oppressive) over messy revolution (however justified). It's not armed groups are good by definition; many of them are highly questionable or outright appalling, eg FARC or the Maoist Shining Path group. But this 'nonviolence' posture and its magical exclusion of most state violence ensures that unarmed movements are impotent. An impressive dichotomy for a country that celebrates its own violent formation with fireworks and song every July.