The following discourse occurred among Walter Scheidel, Roger Gould and Randall Collins during a night of drinks at their favorite pub. Scheidel: Instances of great violence have pushed people towards equality. My hypothesis can be seen throughout history in which the four horsemen have acted as equalizers (6). Collins: What four horsemen are you referring to? Scheidel: The four horsemen stand as symbols for mass mobilization warfare, transformative revolutions, state collapse, and catastrophic plagues (5). Major events such as these have helped individuals in low-class statuses gain access to resources that they were previously denied. In other words, each horseman leads to a weakening of the wealthy’s dominance over the poor. Gould: Okay. I think I hear what you’re saying. It’s not people’s personal desires that have led to …show more content…
Scheidel: Actually, yes I am because it’s what history has demonstrated over and over again. Collins: Well, violence can’t be the only way, Walter. The vast majority of people want to avoid fighting. Gould: If that’s so, then how do we explain police brutality on the streets? Such as the events witnessed at Occupy Wallstreet or even in people’s everyday lives. Collins: That’s a good question Roger. For one, officers know that the law protects them more than citizens. This means that, during a conflict, the police can get past their fear and tension and experience forward panic. Scheidel: Of course – people don’t need to feel protected by the state to feel confident enough to fight for their rights. Collins: That’s true. Which is where my second point comes in. Aside from experiencing forward panic, individuals surpass their fear and tension when they have an audience that encourages their aggressive behavior (210). Gould: Well, the public is definitely not their core audience,