Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2001 15:47:29 +0000
Subject: the state and violence


All

When I was very young we essentially believed that its was time for the 
state to be held accountable for the violence it committed and 
contained. At some point we accepted that the issue was not simply the 
state, but the socio-economic system as a whole, but not withstanding 
this it was not possible or sensible to retreat from the former position.

Even allowing for the idea that the state was being superceded, in some 
circumstances by transnational and multinational corporations, an idea 
which attempts to ignore the reality of the socio-economic system, in 
which the state is but one extremely important and inevitable pole. For 
example in our capital/techno-scientific society the state in either its 
nation-state or the empire form is essential.

Given our states behaviours over the past 50 years how should we respond?

regards

sdv