From Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny: 20 Lessons from the 20th Century

[The Blue Flower]

"When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come."
"For violence to transform not just the atmosphere but also the system, the emotions of rallies and the ideology of exclusion have to be incorporated into the training of armed guards. These first challenge the police and military, then penetrate the police and military, then transform the police and military."

I just read this chapter and wanted to share it. The book is excellent and deeply cautionary.

[cilla4progress]

1. I fear this is what became of

My friends' son - a Sheriff's Deputy.

[triron]

2. I fear Dr. Snyder is more correct than not.