The Dangers of Revolution

On the 3rd of February this year, rioters took to the streets in cities all across the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, protesting for causes such as an end to the high unemployment rate, the lowering of government salaries and corruption and universal health care. Although the protests have been going on since January, the tensions escalated on that day, culminating in the burning of government buildings with people working in them. Many people are calling this the “Bosnian Spring,” and it seems to be only the start of a series of anti-government movements in the Republic. Some people think there may just be a full-scale Bosnian revolution in the making.There is, however, a major problem with this revolution as illustrated by the events of last Monday. No matter how right or wrong the ideals of revolutionary leaders may be, revolutions are almost always uncontrolled and dangerous. When people group together in mass action or protest, their passion comes out, and more often than not, this results in excessive destruction and violence against innocent people. One article about the events from the 3rd described people leaping from the windows of buildings to escape the fire, injuring themselves in the process. Most revolutions are dangerous, precisely because no revolutionary leader can completely control their followers without a means of enforcement, especially when he or she is trying to lead them against the authority that they hate so much.Even if a revolution is successful in overthrowing the old government, another problem arises: who controls the new state? The people are sure to disagree with each other on how it should be run, and often times, because of the corruption and thirst for power of the revolutionaries, the new government ends up being just as bad as, if not worse than, the overthrown government. This was illustrated by the recent events of the Arab Spring, where countless “democracies” sprang up that were more corrupt than the autocracies they replaced. In order to successfully carry through the transition of power, everything must be planned out carefully in advance. Spontaneous revolution is out of the question.Of course, revolutions have not always ended in disaster, but as we advance farther through time into the modern era, a pattern begins to reveal itself, and it is hard to ignore. Revolutions organized by the people have overthrown old governments time and time again, all across the world. We see this everywhere, one example being the constant struggles in Mexico, where the people have fought over and over for economic equality and an end to the dictatorship, only to have yet another dictator assume power with little change.Revolution is completely unreliable in terms of changing government for the better. The only safe way to implement political or social change is through gradual means, a concept which is at the very basis of conservatism. Gradual change ensures that the country stays in a state of stability, and avoids the inevitable chaos and violence brought by open revolution. The changes, while they badly needed, may not be implemented as quickly as some would like them to be. I ask you, is rapid change such a good thing when it comes with the heavy price of lives and turmoil? 