Summary by Sherine Elsayed

In the article “The revolution will not be polite: the issue of nice versus good” by Rachael, the author states that there is an immense contrast between the terms goodness and niceness in the context of social justice and claims that the confusion of these two terms by the people is a major issue preventing the revolution from reaching its goals.

First, insulting oppressive social structures through social media seems to satisfy the author. Rachael denounces people who think niceness is essential to social justice and strongly disagrees with them. Furthermore, social justice advocates equality and justice and rejects prerogatives and advantages exclusive to a particular class. The author, even though she doesn’t imply that niceness is negative, promotes coordination and liaison in a society over this niceness. She indicates that oppressive forces hide behind this supposed niceness and politeness, concealing their misogyny, homophobia, racism, xenophobia… Rachael demonstrates that "nice" people tend to use this way to be able to harm, abuse, exploit or oppress others. So it is nothing but a camouflage to try and make their acts tolerated. In addition, the author dedicates a big paragraph for her thoughts about privileges. Privileges, as people tend to think, don't symbolize friendliness and politeness. They represent the fact that some people of a certain class who are equal to you are considered superior to you. You as an individual or another class, are being left out, isolated and even alienated from the society, considered as inferior to others who are given more social rights and opportunities. Niceness is a major tool in being able to control these alienated people and even control their emotions. Their anger becomes illegal. These people don't start revolutions anymore; they ask for their rights in a "nice way". In the same way, meanness isn't a synonym of oppression. Using the example of white people and non-white people around racism, the author proves her point. She indicates that being mean to someone or depriving them from their human lawful rights aren't socially nor morally equal harms. In the context of social movements, according to the author, the confusion of goodness and niceness is misleading the revolution, positioning women of the society in a dangerous situation and altering the revolution's message and goals. A social movement is about gaining back the people's rights and not letting the oppressor censor the popular voice and its demands.