In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action
AuthorVicky Osterweil
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherVerso Books
Publication date
September 17, 2019[1]

In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action is a 2019 book by Vicky Osterweil and published by Bold Type Books.[2] Osterweil wrote the book in response to the Ferguson unrest in 2014 and 2015.[3]

In the book, Osterweil argues that looting is a tool that results in positive change to society and that looting helps redistribute property and wealth in an unequal society, which she calls "fighting racial capitalism." Osterweil also observes in the book that "those who participate in rioting and looting tend to be the most politically informed and socially engaged in the neighborhood".[2][4]

Osterweil denounces nonviolence in the book, stating that when it is "pushed as a philosophical, moral, or religious principle, it gains a nasty, authoritarian edge." She also denounces local politicians and political groups who advocate for limiting looting during uprisings.[4]

Reception

In August 2020, Bret Stephens, a conservative journalist for The New York Times, said that "'In Defense of Looting' is not an interesting book. It speaks for almost nobody beyond the fringe left — and certainly not for looters who hadn't thought about 'cisheteropatriarchalism.'"[5]

In a September 2020 review, Graeme Wood, a staff writer for The Atlantic, called the book "The Pinnacle of Looting Apologia", saying that "If the real, lasting change you wish to effect is burning society to cinders and crippling for a generation its ability to serve its poorest citizens, then I suppose I am forced to agree."[6]

References

  1. ↑ A fresh argument for rioting and looting as our most powerful tools for dismantling white supremacy Retrieved 6/29/2022.
  2. 1 2 Escobar, Natalie (August 27, 2020). "One Author's Controversial View: 'In Defense Of Looting'". NPR. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  3. ↑ Fallon, Claire (August 25, 2020). "Are Looters Undermining The Movement — Or Creating It?". HuffPost. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Chotiner, Isaac (September 3, 2020). "Examining Vicky Osterweil's Case for Looting". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  5. ↑ Stephens, Bret (September 1, 2020). "Unwitting Progressives for Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ Wood, Graeme (September 2, 2020). "The Pinnacle of Looting Apologia". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 26, 2021.

Further reading

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