We anarchists are generally averse to cooperating with the police, for very good reasons. However, as I understand it, at times the only real way to protect the community in the society we currently live in seems to be talking with the pigs.
Suppose you believe yourself to have evidence incriminating a serial killer. In an anarchistic society the serial killer could be sent to the psych ward and dealt with humanely. But what about the modern day? Do you turn over the evidence to the police?
This question has been bothering me for about 3 days now. It was provoked by learning about Aufhebengate. It made me wonder under what circumstances snitching is justifiable.
I suspect, in an anarchistic society, serial killers would be killed in turn by the victims’ friends and relatives, and the rest of society would shrug and say “murdering people is wrong but in this case we can’t really blame them”.
Anarchists aren’t necessarily pacifists, after all.
Really, if you ask yourself “what would happen to someone in an anarchist society who killed a serial killer/rapist/molester/etc etc in revenge” and the answer is “little or nothing” you probably have your answer to how that society would handle serial killers, rapists, molesters, etc.
Read my post again. I’m not asking about the shining glorious utopia we’re building. I’m asking about now.
A rapist/murderer might be just a rapist/murderer to some, to others the person might alsl be friend, relative, lover, child or parent. While I do not see myself in the position to stop someones revenge against their abuser or the killer of a loved one, I really hope this will not be the norm. Because as I said, the killed person might have people that care about them that most likely will get hurt by this and also might want to do revenge for that. I also believe that the act of killing can be very harmful to those doing the killing.
I think anarchist societies should focus on prevention and doing things that actually help those that got harmed, which might vary widely by the individual.
And then the friends and family of the unconvicted serial killer will say he was innocent and you got the wrong guy, then carry out reprisal killings against the self-appointed judge, jury, and executioners of their guy, then their friends and families will want to settle the score, etc. Or most people would support a mafia- or taliban-like group that provides some semblance of a justice system.
Just like in plenty of places where the government can’t or won’t do the job.
The USA had this sort of thing burning for a long time in the early days of the country. The Hatfield and McCoy blood feud is probably the most famous.