Disarm citizens so they cannot protect themselves.
Defund the police so there is no one to call who is to protect citizens.
Sounds like a feature, not a bug.

If a mayor and the city won't protect its people, it is time to remove the mayor.

If a mayor and the city won't protect its people, it is time to remove the mayor. ~ Radwaste at August 28, 2020 6:39 AM

Why else does one establish a government but to protect citizens' rights, including property rights, and lives; to provide a societal framework that protects individual freedom?

If one feels that government does not adequately protect the rights and lives of some citizens, one protests, one petitions the government, one sues in court. One does not go about burning down another's property in a fit of rage.

While our government and society have become somewhat ossified, they have not become so ossified that change is impossible without violent revolution. Witness how many businesses and politicians have scrambled to associate themselves with Black Lives Matter's calls for change, despite the violence, arson, extortion, and looting done with a BLM imprimatur. Look how many in the media continue to push the line that these are "peaceful protests" despite the buildings burning in the background.

The problem for these groups is that any change that they will be able to achieve within the system and without violence will not be enough to satisfy them; won't be enough to give them the absolute power they seek. So, violence is their only path to that level of power; and the appeasers cannot see that in their rush to avoid being targeted.

The only reason that protesters are demanding, "Defund the police" is because they don't anyone protecting the wrongthinkers from their assaults, or anyone to protect the businesses from their looting and vandalism.

However, should their victims respond in kind, they're screaming bloody murder for police protection.

When Antifa showed up at the big biker rally recently, they got in over their heads and called 911 for help. They want to defund the police, except when they want help, then magically the police should be there.
Over the past several weeks, as Antifa has started moving into neighborhoods to riot, residents have shown up armed and sent them away in Fort Collins and several other places. I applaud this but note that vigilante justice is not guaranteed to work smoothly. In fact, it is leading to shootouts pretty soon. Ironically, the first example of this I heard about was in the first set of riots in Chicago where the Puerto Rican gangs would not let the rioters into their neighborhood. Good job but do we really want gangs to be the only source of order?

Patrick
WRT your last line; see the Dark Ages.

Humorously, cc, creating law and order is a frequent cause for creating gangs. Especially racial ones.