One of the characteristics of a revolutionary is commitment to the cause. In the words of Sergey Nechayev, a Marxist who died in prison in 1882 for his role in the assassination of Czar Alexander II, “The revolutionary man is a consecrated man. He has neither his own interest nor concerns nor feelings, no attachments nor property, not even a name. All for him is absorbed in the single exclusive interest, in the one thought, in the one passion — revolution.” (Cited by Bill Bright, Revolution Now!).

For the revolutionary, life in its present state is not worth living — but the cause is worth dying for. In the words of Che Guevara, inviting his old friend Julio “El Gaucho” Castro to join him in Cuba, “This experience of ours is really worth taking a couple of bullets for. [If you do come,] don’t think of returning, the revolution won’t wait.”

This is a far cry from the spirit of the student protesters who liken themselves to revolutionaries but resemble privileged young people who not only want to demonstrate without consequence, but also to be pampered while protesting.

In response to some of these student demands, a reporter said to Johannah King-Slutsky, one of Columbia University protest leaders, “It seems like you’re saying, ‘We want to be revolutionaries, we want to take over this building. Now would you please bring us some food’.”

She replied, “I guess it’s ultimately a question of what kind of community and obligation Columbia feels it has to its students. Do you want students to die of dehydration and starvation or get severely ill even they disagree with you?”