A theme that recurs in political philosophy, and has been profoundly articulated since Bodin and Hobbes, is the state's monopoly on violence, and its necessity not only to rationalize the existence of a state, but also to empower it with irreducible means to enforce law and order.
If one can obtain some mechanism that effectively negates the state's attempts to use violence on them, they can escape being subject to the rule of law. Prohibitions against body armor stem from trying to curb this; this is also why law enforcement hates widespread digital encryption, because it sidesteps mechanisms like search warrants entirely.
If one can obtain some mechanism that effectively negates the state's attempts to use violence on them, they can escape being subject to the rule of law. Prohibitions against body armor stem from trying to curb this; this is also why law enforcement hates widespread digital encryption, because it sidesteps mechanisms like search warrants entirely.