Re: Governments and repression

[Carl Ellison <cme@tis.com>]

>Date: Wed, 31 Aug 1994 08:35:12 -0400
>From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@imsi.com>

Perry,

>I would refer to most governments as being no more than large
>organized gangs, differing from the Mafia or Hezbollah only in so far
>as they have convinced large numbers of people of their legitimacy.

It's always bothered me that gov'ts were people wielding power for its own
sake.  I had hoped we had progressed beyond the tribal chieftan stage of
development.  Then again, I remember the bullies in grade school.

To what extent is gov't a home for bullies and to what extent is it the
collective defense against bullies (both ideas finding models in the Wild
West Sheriff)?  How do we turn it from the first to the second?

 - Carl