The nature of anarchism (Lefty Despair etc.)

[Justin Schwartz]

And the
>"constabulary" of old was in many ways more a neighborhood than a
>"state" function (not all constables being as stupid as portrayed in
>Shakespeare). You would move towards that, and away from state power as
>we know it, simply by requiring police to reside in the same areas they
>policed.

Many municipalities require this--Chicago requires cops to live in the city, 
much good that it does.


>
>But this is to ignore the main purpose the concept of a stateless
>society serves -- _not_ as a goal of struggle or blueprint of the good
>society but as a perspective on the present. Whether there will ever be
>what would appear to us as a stateless society I do not know or care.

We disagree about the valie of thinking through alternative arrangements, 
but I agree with you that the concept of a stateless society is a useful 
thought experiment for understanding the present.

I think it at least debatable, however,
>whether the present criminal-justice system creates more predators than
>it eliminates.
>

Very likely it creates more. I'd bet on it. I think many judges and even 
prosecutors would agree.

jks

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