The Monopoly of Violence

The German historian and sociologist Max Weber, in his 1918 lecture “Politics as a Vocation,” defined the state as a “human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.” Political scientists in general tend to accept the fact that one of the defining characteristics of an independent state is the control of armed forces and/or police who alone are authorized to use violence in the state's name.

The importance of the "monopoly of force" or "monopoly of violence" to the state was of great interest as we watched events in Russia unfold last week, when mercenary forces of the Wagner Group under the leadership of Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow in what appeared to be an abortive coup ... whether against the leadership of the military (as Prigozhin claimed) or against Vladimir Putin himself remains unclear. 

Regardless of the final target, Mr Putin learned a valuable lesson about allowing a private army to operate outside the control of his government.

But Mr Putin wasn't the only one who should have learned a lesson.

Here in the United States, we have a proliferation of armed groups and amateur militias who believe in their right to use violence to implement their interpretation of the Constitution and the law ... the "Proud Boys," the "Oathkeepers," the "Three-Percenters" and others demonstrated their willingness on January 6th, 2021, to use force to overturn an election that didn't produce the results they wanted. These are not the "well-regulated militias" envisioned by the Founders in the Holy Second Amendment (let me hear you say, "halleluja!"), but groups who would impose their vision on you by force. 

What's worrisome about the home-grown militias is that they're not all a bunch of pudgy, bearded, military cosplay Gravy Seals pretending to be heroic figures ... some of them are serious, heavily-armed people with military training who absolutely believe that their freedoms (however they define them, and regardless of yours) are being trampled upon by a tyrannical government, and that they are justified in doing whatever it takes to get the government and the freedoms they want.

A "well-regulated militia" protects the nation and respects the rule of law. The home-grown equivalent of a Wagner Group does not.

Think about that when you cast your votes. 

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo