this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025
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[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nearly every society has had some kind of police/army/guard to enforce laws.

Big citation needed here. Many societies didn't have a professional army but rather armed citizens who went to war when needed and had other occupations otherwise. See for example the second amendment which wanted a "well regulated Militia" instead of a professional army. Also this is different from a police force which isn't universal either. Many watch each other or have rotating shifts or something which isn't the same as a police that necessarily stands above the law to enforce it.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

this link goes into light detail of how laws were written and enforced in ancient times, starting with tribal or clan based blood fueds and eventually turning to a more societal run and funded system.

[–] lugal@sopuli.xyz 0 points 2 days ago

Very light detail. Even wikipedia is more critical and names the slave patrols as origin of policing in the US. Your source outright equates law and police which is very problematic. You can have a law and sets of rules in an egalitarian society with a nightwatcher system or something and no armed police force. According to wikipedia:

Up to the early 18th century, the level of state involvement in law enforcement in Britain was low. Although some law enforcement officials existed in the form of constables and watchmen, there was no organized police force.

So police isn't as common place as your source makes it seem.

I haven't read it yet but James Scott wrote a book about societies in southeast Asia without government who don't "turn bloody quickly" whatever that might mean. Also Worshiping Power is a book I have read that's topical enough.