Demystifying forces of the state, gangs, and revolutionary violence.

In three taut essays, Kristian Williams examines our society’s understanding of social and political violence, what gets romanticized, misunderstood, or muddled. He explores the complex intersections between “gangs” of all sorts—cops and criminals, Proud Boys and antifa, Panthers and skinheads—arguing that government and criminality are intimately related, often sharing critical features. As society becomes more polarized and the conviction that things are only going to get worse, and more violent, grows, William’s analysis is a crucial corrective to our simple, unquestioned ideas about the role violence might or should play in our social struggles.

Foreword by Robert Evans

One - Ganging Up for Civil War? Proud Boys vs. Antifa vs. Police

Two - The Other Side of the COIN: Counterinsurgency and Community Policing 

Three - Gangs, States, and Insurgencies