In this, the first book to deal with the concepts of war power and police power together, Mark Neocleous conducts a critical exploration of the ways in which war power and police power are intertwined in the form of state violence and exercised in social ordering.
Focusing on the concept of the Universal Adversary, this groundbreaking work delves into its emergence from US security documents and its implications for emergency planning. It scrutinizes the underlying issue of the 'disgruntled worker' and how this abstract enemy has evolved to influence state power narratives. The book also examines historical tropes associated with resistance and disorder, such as the Zombie, the Devil, and the Pirate, offering a radical perspective on contemporary security discourse.
Putting police power into the centre of the picture of capitalism The ubiquitous nature and political attraction of the concept of order has to be understood in conjunction with the idea of police. Since its first publication, this book has been one of the most powerful and wide-ranging critiques of the police power. Neocleous argues for an expanded concept of police, able to account for the range of institutions through which policing takes place. These institutions are concerned not just with the maintenance and reproduction of order, but with its very fabrication, especially the fabrication of a social order founded on wage labour. By situating the police power in relation to both capital and the state and at the heart of the politics of security, the book opens up into an understanding of the ways in which the state administers civil society and fabricates order through law and the ideology of crime. The discretionary violence of the police on the street is thereby connected to the wider administrative powers of the state, and the thud of the truncheon to the dull compulsion of economic relations.
Offering a critical examination of pacification, the book challenges both its theoretical foundations and practical applications. It delves into the complexities and implications of pacification strategies, questioning their effectiveness and ethical considerations. Through a comprehensive analysis, it aims to provoke thought and discussion on the broader impacts of these methods in various contexts.
Exploring the modern state through the metaphor of its body, mind, and personality, this study offers a unique perspective on political theory and sociology. Mark Neocleous delves into the state's role in the social world, challenging conventional notions and enriching our understanding. With intriguing connections, such as those between Ronald Reagan and historical figures, the work serves as a valuable resource for educators and students alike, enhancing the discourse surrounding the state's influence and representation.
Critique of Security brings together very diverse discussions about security in order to sustain a genuine critique of security and its study.
The violence and destruction hiding behind the obsession with immunity