What happens when people stop believing the justice system will deliver justice?
Pigweed and Crowhill start with the banned movie *Citizen Vigilante*, but quickly move into a much bigger question: Why do vigilante stories become popular when people believe crime is out of control and the authorities aren’t doing their job?
From Charles Bronson and *Falling Down* to Batman, John Locke, the social contract, and the state’s supposed monopoly on force, they explore the uneasy bargain at the heart of civilized society: We give up the right to take justice into our own hands because we expect the government to do it for us.
But what happens when that bargain breaks down?
Along the way, they discuss immigration and crime in Europe, censorship, the difficulty of talking honestly about politically sensitive problems, and why vigilante stories may be a warning sign that public confidence in institutions is collapsing.
Plus: Alpaca Riot IPA, the Streisand effect, and a surprisingly serious theory about the size of Batman’s ears.
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