The Anti-Social and Vandalistic State

Abstract

So much of orthodox criminology is built upon an uncritical acceptance of the black letter law notion that ‘crime’ is simply what the statute book says. Critical criminologists have reminded us that because of this there is an unhealthy focus on the activities of ‘blue-collar’ criminals rather than paying due attention to the crimes of the powerful. In this context the term ‘vandal’ is associated with the adolescent standing by a shop window armed with a brick in hand or the youth armed with a knife ready to slash car tyres. This chapter asks the question whether these sort of vandalistic practices pale into insignificance when compared to the abominations committed by the state in terms, for example, of environmental destruction and damage caused through warfare.