I couldn't help thinking about this last night after an extensive discussion about The Wind that Shakes the Barley, which is a film about the formation of the IRA and paints the organization in a fairly favorable light.
Almost every rebellion that I can think of was justified at least insofar as the powers that be were doing something horrible. The October Revolution in Russia was a response to a rapacious regime and a mostly feudalistic economic system. The IRA was formed to oppose the British occupation which was violent and tyrannical. Castro's rebellion in Cuba was against a fascist regime. I could go on.
The problem is that all too often the rebels made things even worse than they were.
It's one thing to know what you're against, it's quite another to know what you're for.
The Soviets, Castro, and so-on made things worse. The IRA, if given absolute power, would be a disaster.
This is why I shrug everybody off who defines his or her views as being "anti" something. You're anti-Fascist or antiracist? Great, so is everybody with a conscience. What the fuck are you for?