sherwin5_MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLANDAFP via Getty Images_far-right america

Culture

美国陷入暴力的危险境地

Jul 22, 2022 Richard K. Sherwin

纽约——时常扰乱美国人生活的大规模枪击事件不应被简单地视为随机之举。它们是主权权威持续瓦解的表象。作为对权威终级主张的主权必须具备至少两项原则：即不可分割性及合法垄断使用武力的权力。唯有国家借助警察力量，才能被允许在国家防御中使用暴力（无论是防范国内恐怖和犯罪行为亦或是抵御国外的袭击）。

尤其因为面对所谓不安全和不公正时人们只能自救，对国家警力丧失信心是一种危险的境地。如果人们不再信任国家能提供维护社会结构所需的安全和正义——自我依赖有可能挑战国家的主权权威。

从历史角度看，法西斯政治运动的出现往往伴随着私人民兵的平行崛起：莫索里尼的黑衫军、希特勒的棕衫军、巴西的绿衫军和爱尔兰法西斯领袖奥因·奥达菲的蓝衫军都包括在内。

To continue reading, register now.

Subscribe now for unlimited access to everything PS has to offer.

As a registered user, you can enjoy more PS content every month – for free.

Already have an account? Log in

PS Events: What Economics is Missing

Neglect the insights of women, particularly in economics, and society suffers. At PS’s next virtual event, What Economics Is Missing, Minouche Shafik, Dani Rodrik, Vera Songwe, and others will debate how to create the conditions for achieving genuine inclusivity in economics.

new comment has been posted. new comments have been posted.

0 Comments on this paragraph, 4 Comments on this article

Ray B Jul 26, 2022

Politics in the US has always been violent since its founding in 1776. We, unlike Europe, are a Republic of 50 states who give power to the Federal Government, not the Federal Government giving power to the states. Over the 100 years, the Federal Government has worked endlessly to solidify power in DC to the detriment of the individual states. Trump upset the path for a few years, then COVID demonstrated that DC was not on the side of the people but codifying its power. The people are fed up with the double standard of those who rule us and those who have not lived under the rules. November is coming, which will toss many of the rulers into the dust bin of history. The power will move back to the states where it belongs.
A new reply to this comment has been posted.
lt lee Jul 25, 2022

Americans are living with fractured reality which leads to the rise of nihilism, extremism, and the blood of random strangers.

"I believe there’s a relationship between our fractured reality and the rise of the nihilist—persons and groups that consider destruction and mass murder to be a form of progress. The nihilist lurks in a broken sliver of truth that is impossible to debate or refute. There, he experiences absolute grievance and the absolute negation of the system, the repudiation of everything that stands and of everyone
he encounters. Not just politics but all of humanity, he holds, must be purified and made new. As the last righteous person, the nihilist aims to bring this about in the blood of random strangers. He acts out the violence that so many others perpetrate verbally and virtually on the web: he is, in that sense, the avenging angel of post-truth, and the rant made flesh." (The Revolt of the Public by Martin Gurri)
A new reply to this comment has been posted.
Adrian Wu Jul 25, 2022

Many Western leaders, the US democrats in particular, sell the idea that democracy is the only legitimate form of government and a prescription for all nations on earth. They use it as a justification for their endless meddling into the domestic affairs of other countries, the instigation of uprisings to overthrow non-democratically elected governments (only of "unfriendly countries", naturally) with the publicly stated aim of "protecting" democracy. However, democracy really only works if all stakeholders agree to relinquish power when they lose in a fair election. This had been possible in the US's case for the first 200 years due to its apartheid system. Until the civil rights act, minorities did not have political rights, and this ensured that the established interests were not threatened. This all changed in the past 50 years, and as the minorities gained more political power, one major party has latched on to their political fortunes. The other party and its supporters are no longer willing to relinquish their political power under these circumstances. The important question is, is democracy still possible under this situation ? The problem is further complicated by the other "values" held dear by some, and at least given lip service by the others. The freedom of speech and the freedom of the press almost guarantee that disinformation becomes rife and being used as a political tool to undermine the very core of those same principles. The freedom to own firearms embolden the militants to use violence to further undermine democratic values. As I see it, the problem does not lie with the Republicans, or the Alt-right or what have you, but with the attempt to maintain a political system that is incompatible with the realities of the society. Democracy has become a religion rather than just another form of government. It is the be all and end all, much like becoming a Christian will lead you to eternal life. One needs to give up one's sinful ways to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Are people willing to give up their struggles for their political beliefs (be they racist, sexist, white supremacist) for the democratic Garden of Eden ? Ironically, if the right wing Republicans manage to suppress minority political rights, the system might survive. Otherwise, there are only two outcomes; a split of the country along ideological grounds, or a non-democratic system of government that hopefully guarantees equal (but diminished) rights for all.
A new reply to this comment has been posted.
alex Finch Jul 23, 2022

Don’t blame capitalism! I believe America’s violence has nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with capitalism. The culture of binge-drinking and regular drug-taking, a problem so prevalent in America, Australia and perhaps the UK, are almost nonexistent in continental Europe. Why? Australians realized they had a drug problem already back when politician and anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay was murdered by the Calabrian mafia in 1977. Half a century later and drug gangs are now much more widespread in Australia, and most pubs now require strict security measures (numerous bouncers) to deal with the violence associated with binge drinking and drugs, including widespread steroid use (unheard of in Europe). Having lived both in Australia and Austria for many years, I’ve come to the conclusion that to blame politics for the violence is a useless simplification. The standard of living in Austria and Australia are almost equal (disposable income PPP-adjusted), yet the cultures are extremely different, and that has in my opinion little to do with income or wealth or politics (capitalism versus socialism). Singapore had a radical solution, the death penalty for drug dealers - a political decision that did make a difference.
A new reply to this comment has been posted.

https://prosyn.org/TKl10CDzh

美国陷入暴力的危险境地

PS Events: What Economics is Missing

New Comment

Contact us

Log in/Register

美国陷入暴力的危险境地

PS Events: What Economics is Missing

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification