A
government's use of
legalized
force or
violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce an opposing government, its own
civilian population, or any segment and combination thereof, in furtherance of
political ends.
State leaders and military machines are composed of groups of individuals. Like any other group of individuals, they are capable of atrocities followed by rationalizations to themselves and others that what they did was morally justifiable. The only difference is that state actions are "officially" approved.