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Notes -
I identify with 2rafa's POV. While I think what you're saying is true at the extremes, how does it apply to the US? The Jan 6th rioters appeared to me to be hallucinating a tyranny as much as the people opposing ICE's lawful deportations are now. I disagree with portraying me as a friend of the warlord because the warlord is about one guy's vibe about what's right and using his club, whereas rule of law is much more legitimate than that.
The anarchy here comes from people who are otherwise materially well-off and essentially free being made mentally unwell. While the state's rule of law corresponds to at least some attachment to reality: judges ultimately field test what lawmakers and the executive enact against the constitution and reality. Yes some judges are unhinged culture warriors but I think it's fair to say 1/3rd to a half still care about reality. And we are not yet at the point where judges are being assassinated for handing down judgments that powers don't want to see. Wake me up when that's happening, I guess.
EDIT: I asked SlopGPT for examples of states with solid democracy and rule of law that still underwent rebellion and it cited the UK w.r.t. The Troubles, Spain post-Franco w.r.t. ETA, and Canada w.r.t. Quebec separatism. Surprising. So I suppose I have some reading to do.
EDIT2: although these time periods coincide with global trends in relaxed policing. Pinker's view would be that lax policing encourages disorder instead of cooperation by changing the payoffs
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