This process, in the case of revolutions, spirals out of control. Then, too often, all hell breaks loose. The breaking down of social order leads to a Hobbesian state of nature where every party is at risk of political violence, and often opts to use it themselves pre-emptively. Mass executions and situations bordering on genocide often ensue.

* “You imagine that you are fighting against the mob, but actually you are becoming a part of it. Within the mob there is no justice and no argument and no reasoning, no space for inquiry or investigation. The only good move is not to play.”

ne side has built an entire political brand around permission for violence. When leaders call immigrants “invaders” and political opponents “vermin,” they aren’t just talking but issuing an open contract for someone, somewhere, to act.