The Weapons of Oppression

All systems and patterns of oppression have certain things in common.

Many of these common elements can be described by the following Three Weapons of Oppression:

• Division

• Exhaustion

• Idea Control

The weapons do sometimes occur by themselves, but more often, they are combined into sophisticated strategies and even fundamental aspects of cultures.

Because we all exist in environments that involve varying degrees of oppression, it is very easy for us to re-create these patterns when we start something new, without even realizing it. It is important to know how these weapons work so we can break the patterns and truly escape from centuries-long cycles of oppressive behavior.

For an essay about alternatives to the Weapons of Oppression, check out What's in the Toolbox of Liberation?