[SolarCross]

Socialists go on and on and on and on about the "means of production" but what about the means of defence? What is socialist policy regarding this?

[Paradigm]

We support it. Or did you have a more particular question in mind?

[SolarCross]

We support it. Or did you have a more particular question in mind?

What about non-anarchist socialists?

More specifically:
- Do you see the right to self-defence as being a natural right or as something that should only be bestowed by a superior human authority?
- Should ownership of the means of defence be monopolised by a central authority or be decentralised down to the individual level?

[fuser]

1. There are no natural rights. these questions are more of a policy issue and there is no one single pattern that must be followed i.e. it will depend.

Personally I am in favour of it but there should be some sort of regulation specially when the new state is at its infancy.

[The Clockwork Rat]

Ideally, there would be an even distribution of power/force. However, it is more likely that such would tend towards some sort of lumpiness, and as such ... CONTINUAL REVOLUTION!

[DJJ87]

I oppose gun control and think citizens need to defend themselves, not just from other citizens who may pose a threat but authorities too.

[Vera Politica]

What about non-anarchist socialists?

More specifically:
- Do you see the right to self-defence as being a natural right or as something that should only be bestowed by a superior human authority?
- Should ownership of the means of defence be monopolised by a central authority or be decentralised down to the individual level?

I don't think this is or should be an ideological question. Clearly, Marxists would not support the idea of an individual right to gun ownership. At most, it is a class-based right but even here this right does not exist largely because it is nowhere enforced as such a right. As to a monopolized defense, this, again, would depend on too many factors particular to different countries and at different times. The policy of a worker's state, during the revolutionary period, would likely be markedly different that the worker's state after such a period. What are the prospects of counter-revolutions? How many reactionary groups are operating in the country? Are international agents supporting counter-revolutionary groups? To what extent? How many people live in the country? Blah blah, you get the idea.

In general, it would be largely inconsistent for Marxists to support gun control. That being said, this is not an ideological point. Only liberals think it is because they claim there is (or is not) an individual, natural right to gun ownership. Marxists agree there isn't such a NATURAL right, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a right to gun ownership.

[Dagoth Ur]

I don't see how the means of defense are actually separate from the means of production. In all capitalist countries the same people who own the state own the guns.