Re: Governments and repression

["Perry E. Metzger" <perry@imsi.com>]

rishab@dxm.ernet.in says:
> Hezbollah, Hamas, the IRA, the Khmers Rouges lock people up. You may not
> believe it but there are those who accept their 'rules' under the threat of
> violence. I suppose 'most people' call _them_ governments?

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.

> I'm amazed at the way some of you keep screaming about the violence of 
> governments. Maybe you need to experience some _real_ repression.

The vast majority of people killed in acts of violence this century
have been killed by governments, often their own. I am no less
concerned about being killed by non-governmental force, but the
governmental forces stop me from doing things to lower my risk of
being killed by non-governmental forces.

Perry