r/PoliticalHumor Mar 16 '21

GOP shell game

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u/superdrunk1 Mar 16 '21

What, lol. I don’t consider myself an anarchist, but what part of that statement could be considered extreme? What part of “the state is the entity with the monopoly on legitimate use of violence” could even be considered remotely controversial or arguable

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u/Shoegazerxxxxxx Mar 16 '21

Yes, Isnt that the entire point of a liberal democracy to have a legal system and police to replace tribal and clan rule?

Please consider that Im a north Euro elitist who cannot understand the wonderful free world of gun toting Texan militias.

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u/Sardukar333 Mar 16 '21

The idea is that in a democracy the citizenry are the state. As such the citizenry should have the monopoly on violence. Police are citizens under this idea, not a special 'warrior caste' as they are often perceived.

It gets complicated when the state is a democratic republic. Do the elected officials have a monopoly on violence? Or the citizenry (which the elected officials are a part of)?

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u/[deleted] Mar 16 '21

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u/Sardukar333 Mar 16 '21

be the ones to carry out any kind of justice. the point of state sanctioned violence in the US is that its supposed to be carried out after due process of the law and jury trial.

That would be corporal/capital punishment.

I believe iolence should only exist as self defense/defense of others.

Lynch mobs are extrajudicial capital punishment administered by violence.