You're right in that those are very much real issues, and why almost always vigilantes are a bad idea.
It's just where I think we differ, is that in a select number of extreme situation they're an unpleasant necessity, and that for anything below that they're not acceptable*.
The monopoly on violence in a society needs to remain in the hands of the state, except when situations develop where the state is unable to self regulate. However, the number of those situations is intensely rare, and every time has to be balanced against the moral evils of engaging in vigilantiism.
I suppose one could make a more compelling argument for it, but like you said it's very similar to the issue with autocracies, fundamentally if you have it functioning with moral drive and purpose, it is far more effective (slightly more nuanced then that but eh), except the system always, and inherently falls apart or becomes corrupt, which leads to a negative situation far outweighing the good done through it.
*If batman wants to go around beating up poor people and minorities, he can join the police. I find the idea that 'oh, as long as he doesn't kill them it's cool more then a little problematic'.
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See I actually think we agree, sort of.
You're right in that those are very much real issues, and why almost always vigilantes are a bad idea.
It's just where I think we differ, is that in a select number of extreme situation they're an unpleasant necessity, and that for anything below that they're not acceptable*.
The monopoly on violence in a society needs to remain in the hands of the state, except when situations develop where the state is unable to self regulate. However, the number of those situations is intensely rare, and every time has to be balanced against the moral evils of engaging in vigilantiism.
I suppose one could make a more compelling argument for it, but like you said it's very similar to the issue with autocracies, fundamentally if you have it functioning with moral drive and purpose, it is far more effective (slightly more nuanced then that but eh), except the system always, and inherently falls apart or becomes corrupt, which leads to a negative situation far outweighing the good done through it.
*If batman wants to go around beating up poor people and minorities, he can join the police. I find the idea that 'oh, as long as he doesn't kill them it's cool more then a little problematic'.