General Discussion

BlueStreak

(8,377 posts)

60. But the videos are talking a lot.

Sun Jul 17, 2016, 05:06 PM

Jul 2016

My theory is that somewhere around Reagan's time, the militarization of police forces started in earnest, fed by the arms merchants that were eager to move old military stockpiles to local police departments. This allowed the arms industry to sell new arms to the Pentagon to replace the stuff moved downstream to state and city police forces. Everybody was a winner.

Add to that the large number of soldiers returning from Vietnam, and more recently Iraq and Afghanistan. Many, many of these people are seriously disturbed and ended up in police fores all over.

It was natural for them to approach the citizens as "resistors" that needed to be mowed down. And they got away with this for a long time with the help of a continuously consolidating media industry (the Military-Industrial-MEDIA complex.)

These smart phone videos and the networks to distribute them (Youtube, FB, Instagram, etc) are a very recent phenomenon. The state-sponsored murder we have been seeing on Youtube so much recently has actually been accelerating for decades.

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"For the life of me, I can't figure out why in USA Police officers go immediately to murder &....." [View all] kpete Jul 2016 OP

Because the U.S. Military doesn't have a powerful Union like the Police Depts. do. That's why. BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #1

Sorry, no. Unions aren't the reason. Gormy Cuss Jul 2016 #5

Police Unions are enablers of these extrajudicial executions. They are a powerful lobbying group BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #9

There is an article on Alternet about the seminars that cops attend that teachs them to Hestia Jul 2016 #20

Thank you, Hestia. What a frightening read! But it's a GOOD read, and I appreciate the link. eom BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #26

Take away the union and nothing improves in this regard. Gormy Cuss Jul 2016 #50

Unions no... police unions no doubt... it was police union who told Wilson NOT TO write incident uponit7771 Jul 2016 #11

Yes, it was. This is outrageous! So cops are above and beyond the law, higher than a civilian, and BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #27

I love to see Democrats bash unions. Gormy Cuss Jul 2016 #49

False dichotomy, Dems can be constructive towards progressive change and not bash unions uponit7771 Jul 2016 #57

And that is not what's happening in this thread. n/t Gormy Cuss Jul 2016 #64

The police union in MO called for a Darren Wilson day loyalsister Jul 2016 #21

We've got to stop being against unions, Cali, if we are going to be the party of the PatrickforO Jul 2016 #22

We have to discern which unions work in the best interest of all people, not just a select few. BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #25

Unions protect their members Ms. Yertle Jul 2016 #58

The point of a union, ANY union, is to see to the best interests of its members. X_Digger Jul 2016 #63

I will NEVER support ANY cop union. MohRokTah Jul 2016 #35

On June 22, three-year veteran Officer James R. Burns wallyworld2 Jul 2016 #44

There number one rule now is do whatever it takes to make it home at the end of the shift. Dustlawyer Jul 2016 #2

Many police are ex-military IronLionZion Jul 2016 #3

Another thought determined for decades is the in KKK... midnight Jul 2016 #12

Interesting article... HipChick Jul 2016 #19

In 2006 the FBI............ mrmpa Jul 2016 #30

You are well trained and have good instructions. lark Jul 2016 #4

A recent study revealed that about 1/3 TeddyR Jul 2016 #51

Nope, they are the go along to get along types lark Jul 2016 #62

They have a common mantra........ mrmpa Jul 2016 #6

Or tried by one SwankyXomb Jul 2016 #29

The rules of engagement were different in different contexts. Igel Jul 2016 #7

The 2013 NDAA legally defining the US as "Battleground" makes all this more than military analogy. ancianita Jul 2016 #13

Regardless what the rules of engagement are Saviolo Jul 2016 #17

geez heaven05 Jul 2016 #31

Interesting treestar Jul 2016 #8

I have heard the claim that many police departments have been infiltrated by white supremacists. TryLogic Jul 2016 #10

It says we need to work very actively to change the culture of police PatrickforO Jul 2016 #24

I believe training is an issue ebbie15644 Jul 2016 #14

We were trained to be afraid that anyone could have a gun Curtis Jul 2016 #42

As someone that went to the Academy ebbie15644 Jul 2016 #45

Different training Curtis Jul 2016 #47

Recently a soldier saw a Ferguson cop and said they had more gear than we allowed in Falujiah.... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2016 #15

Remember Eric Casebolt's barrel roll when chasing down teens in swimsuits? tblue37 Jul 2016 #54

This is happening in small town America too.... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2016 #59

Military escalation of force is not always linear... TipTok Jul 2016 #16

From the sandbox to the cities SCVDem Jul 2016 #18

The KKK Has Infiltrated U.S. Police Departments for Decades 99th_Monkey Jul 2016 #23

"I can't figured out" Warpy Jul 2016 #28

It is easy to make typos, especially with adult fingers using tiny keyboards on mobile devices. tblue37 Jul 2016 #55

Oh, and why is the guy "dumb" for thinking cops should not escalate so rapidly to lethal force? nt tblue37 Jul 2016 #56

And those stupid rules got a lot of troops killed. I've known a few guys who were there. 7962 Jul 2016 #32

+1 Rex Jul 2016 #34

Cops murder people for failing to follow orders. It is a strange occurrence. Rex Jul 2016 #33

Same Reason The Shoot Small Dogs For No Good Reason billhicks76 Jul 2016 #36

Hey, if a tail light is out, why not just send the guy a note.... rgbecker Jul 2016 #37

Sociopathy. GeorgeGist Jul 2016 #38

Not many cops murder people. So the tweet is way over the top. Vattel Jul 2016 #39

When I was growing up eons ago, there was a program called "The FBI" BlueStreak Jul 2016 #40

"Dead men tell no tales" Wednesdays Jul 2016 #41

But the videos are talking a lot. BlueStreak Jul 2016 #60

To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Danascot Jul 2016 #43

Because the whole premise of that post is based on false assumptions Lee-Lee Jul 2016 #46

Poor training, no budget, low acceptance standards, awful pay. Oneironaut Jul 2016 #48

Odd Facebook post considered police were nurdered today yeoman6987 Jul 2016 #52

I believe you'll find that that's Twitter Spider Jerusalem Jul 2016 #61

Military ROE Kills DustyJoe Jul 2016 #53