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Security services killing their own people is the 2nd cause of violence after homicide. If Nigeria included police and military killings in its murder statistics, its reported homicide in 2008 would have jumped 40%.
Any society can decivilize when governments abandon ordinary people to fend for themselves. But when it becomes "privileged" with the elites using it to capture state resources, the middle class rather than the poor, are the group with power to effect change.
Violence when concentrated no matter the form or perceived cause is usually a tool or a result over control over political economic resources. Its deliberate action by at least one group. Culture matters but in context.
Who will rule whom? - Lenin Countries like Nigeria that moxed democratic and authoritarian elements were six times more likely than consolidated democracies and two and half times more than autocracoes to impode into new wars.
Violence when concentrated no matter the form or perceived cause is usually a tool or a result over control over political economic resources. Its deliberate action by at least one group. Culture matters but in context.
Power structure needs to be realistic not seen through the lens of ideology to effect real change. Different radical, ethic, religious, groups may habour hate but these emotions are allowed to devolve into mob murder because politicians provide immunity for the perpetrators.
Reading about electoral amd racial violemce in the south of the United States after the civil war, with the introduction of new voting population. You see so many similarities. "Lynching fell when politicians found a less violent way to eradicate challengers."
"We have done our level best. We have scratched our heads to find out how we could eliminate every last one of then. We stuffed ballot boxes. We shot them. We are not ashamed of it."South Carolina's Governor Tillman.
Endemic violence - first elites faves competition and turn to privaye violent groups to maintain their political economic control. The politicians then politicise & weaken state security forces until they grow inept and brutal.
Then communities turn to militia and vigilantes for security amd middle class hire private guards.
When the violent seeks office for themselves politics and violence fuse. Other times parties actively recruits these effective actors to run for political office not just be a tool for political holders.
When government breaks decivilize, the violent groups that takes their place don't have to be great. They just have to be better than the alternative that is the government and they are usually locked in once they join.
Lack of serious state Repression how it helped to maintain state stability in Ghana. 
To recover control over decivilizeed spaces, states have to:
1. Make peace with violent groups by providing political (immunity) and economic incentives towards stopping their actions. Secure a collation then expand it. This does not buy peace. Its buys time. (About 8 years).
1. Make peace with violent groups by providing political (immunity) and economic incentives towards stopping their actions. Secure a collation then expand it. This does not buy peace. Its buys time. (About 8 years).
2. Dont use repressive policies to combat violence as they may backfire or undergo metamorphosis. Awaken the middle class to challenge the status quo and elites. The poor are the first and largest victims.
3. Create a political movement of broad based public support that is non-partisan. (Civil Rights Movement) movement are born by captured moments. They don't exist in a vacum.
4. Also politicians are useful. You need to support one who is practical on collation. Knowledgeable in politics and bureaucracy. And has ties to system. Characteristics to be effective.
5. A system is strength lies in the belief of its subjects. The subject have to be recvilzed/reeducated through a public relationship. The public must be educated in how to be a public/collective.
6. Effective intelligence and legislation to reduce the capacity of the groups by capturing their weakness (wealth, influence etc) and exploiting it.
7. Try not to be become corrupted with power, narrow your collation and extreme/rigid in your principles. Be careful of your successors. End
