More on the March for a MultiCultural Aotearoa

BlogGreen:

I will however, give a big thumbs down to whoever it was that thought getting violent with the NF would solve anything. Poking fun at them was entirley effective, pissed them off no end and best of all completely diminished their power. Getting violent not only sunk to their level but it also proved the NF point that their not the only intolerant ones and it gave them opportunity to claim that they're being victimised.

Left and Lefter:

We in the left cannot condone violence. As Ghandi once said, "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind". If we are going to truly oppose these National Front idiots, we have to show that we ARE the bigger, more moral people. We cannot let them drag us down to their level, where violence is the only way to solve problems.

I'm in complete agreement with both of the above. The left's vision of a better society is one that is free of violence as well as racism. Trying to promote that vision with violence is self-defeating in the extreme.

I have no illusions that truth will naturally win any battle in the marketplace of ideas, but that is where we must compete, simply because there is no epistemic link between your beliefs being true and beating someone with your fist.