ABSTRACT
The global proliferation of non-state, or paramilitary, violence in the past four decades has attracted significant scholarly attention in terms of both its causes and its consequences. However, the theoretical implications of this trend, as varied as they are, are still mostly rooted in a Weberian understanding of the political functions of the modern state and its defining feature being its monopoly of violence. The loss of this monopoly is explained from several angles, but there have only been a few attempts at questioning the very nature of the state’s relationship with violence in our times. In this chapter, we draw on some of these theoretical perspectives, and the wealth of insights provided by our case studies, to suggest a fundamental rethinking of the neoliberal state from a Marxist perspective. The rise of paramilitary violence in its diverse and dynamic forms is indicative of the transformed nature of present-day states as they strive to protect themselves and the dominant groups from a host of challenges.
