‘ Crime ’ is a by its nature a limiting word. Republican Rome preferred terms that amounted to an infraction of dignity, or a ‘delict’—a sin. For a while, Romans didn’t even have a law of murder, so much as a socialised process of bounty, vendetta or forgiveness by the heads of families that seems in the modern world to have transferred to some Islamic communities. By contrast, The Greeks—such a sweeping term-- viewed that which offended conscience as a crime. Hence one reading of the word amnesia to mean ‘forgetfulness of sin’. In addition, since authorities from time immemorial have sought to ground their legitimacy in the appearance of natural things, defeating crime can in a way be presented as upholding nature against chaos and disorder. Law and order and, if you like, anti-entropic. This is why it is Kings and Authorities and self-constituted servants of Order and system-builders who like the idea of crime, since it follows that there are criminals from whom the ruled a...
This is a collection of personal and largely unedited observations covering the years from 2006 to now; I assert my copyright but am fine with links and footnotes. Some posts are obviously much more researched than others, and any errors are wholly mine except where I have innocently disseminated or linked to other bloggers or commentators.