The US policing crisis thread

Started by Eamonnca1, April 28, 2015, 07:10:37 AM

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Eamonnca1

Just read an article in the Atlantic about so-called "rough rides." Apparently there's a plethora of nicknames for the practice of cuffing someone, throwing him in the back of a van, not strapping him in, and then driving around like a maniac to rough the victim up. "Bringing him to the front" is the act of sudden braking to slam him against the front panel, also known as a "screen test." In Philly they call them "nickel rides" after amusement park rides. If they've got that many names for it then it's a good bet that it's a fairly common practice.

For all this talk of condemning the rioting in Baltimore, which you have to do, I feel a bit uncomfortable with this American culture of hero worship for anyone in a uniform. If someone serves in the military you have to refer to them as a "hero" and thank him for his service, even if you know nothing about him or what he did when he was on tour. You don't know if he spent his time as a mechanic in the base or shooting up civilians on the street. And I certainly don't get this habit some people have of saying "I support the police." As far as I'm concerned I'll be grateful for when they do a good job the same way I'm grateful to the waitress who gives good service that I'm paying for.

I'd make an exception maybe for the likes of firemen since they're not generally armed and not in much of a position to abuse any power. But this doctrine of porcine infallibility makes me very uncomfortable and it will be America's undoing if they don't do a better job of policing the policemen.

foxcommander

#1
If you feel uncomfortable about the heroes in uniform then is it better to leave?
The Baltimore mayor is bang out of order for her comments on allowing rioters space to destroy.
What sort of message does that send? Liquor stores being looted ain't gonna solve issues.
Every second of the day there's a Democrat telling a lie

Eamonnca1

So that's my choice then? Worship at the altar of armed men in uniform or leave the country? Bit of a drastic choice, wouldn't you say?

illdecide

Ye wouldn't get that behaviour in Lurgan ;)
I can swim a little but i can't fly an inch

brokencrossbar1

Sounds pretty similar to a lot of the things that happened here for years.  There is also the favourite of lying the guy on the floor and using him as a foot stool.  This is common in many police forces as they have a serious power trip and are dealing in circumstances that the 'rules' go out through the gate.  Not nice.  As far as hero worshiping them well that's people's preference.  The US and the British love their armies so they do and see them as the extension of their 'empires', physical and psychological.  It's just the way of the world and it will never change for as long as there are 'baddies' and 'goodies'.

AZOffaly

Porcine infallibility? That says a lot right there.

Cops do a very important job, and to say you appreciate them the same way you appreciate a good waitress is a stupid comment and beneath you Eamonn, to be fair. If there were no cops on the streets of San Francisco (hey that would be a great name for a TV programme) you'd soon want them back.

Of course there are bad cops, and of course there are bad practices that have a blind eye turned to them because the higher echelons decide it's worth it, or even encourage it, to throw a few digs at a sc**bag they are arresting. But that does not mean that the job they do is any less important or valuable.

As for this whole 'I appreciate the job you do, and Thank you for your service', of course it's another media driven, establishment driven agenda to ensure they get a never ending stream of young lads and girls to join the meat grinder so they can send them to Iraq, Iran, or a plethora of 'stans' at some stage in the future. It makes me sad that the American people, a people I like a lot, cannot see that they are being force fed this shite and lapping it up, with almost every broadcast, TV program and sporting event they go to or see. Major sports in America are particularly bad for this, and I don't believe it's because they really believe it, I think it's because they want to keep the government onside for any decisions they need in the future around stadiums etc.

whitey

Whether you agree with it or not, the military is one of the pillars upon which the country is built and as a result is interwoven into pretty much every facet of society.

AZOffaly

whitey, it seems to me that the whole faux patriotism and thanks for your service lark has gone through the roof since 9/11 particularly. I'm sure the Vietnam vets are bemused by all this. Where was the thanks for their service?  It's a cynical ploy, in my view, to maintain support for the foreign wars of the US, and to maintain recruitment rates.


Jell 0 Biafra

If you have the time, this piece "Don't Talk to Police"  is well worth the watch.  The first speaker, a lawyer, is very engaging, and makes a great case as to why you should never speak to the police.  Scarily, the second speaker, a detective, agrees with everything the lawyer says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

J70

Quote from: whitey on April 28, 2015, 11:35:55 AM
Whether you agree with it or not, the military is one of the pillars upon which the country is built and as a result is interwoven into pretty much every facet of society.

Most of the country is oblivious to the true costs of war as most people don't serve or don't have to serve. It's poor people and people from rural areas with no other options. The "I support the troops" ribbons and the rest is just meaningless lip service to the people who suffer the real costs for shit pay and a veterans' welfare system that is ridiculously inadequate. For a country like the US which has to stick it's nose in all over the world to "protect freedom", there should be some kind of compulsory service. Might be a few less sabre - rattling chicken hawks around then.

J70

Quote from: AZOffaly on April 28, 2015, 12:38:43 PM
whitey, it seems to me that the whole faux patriotism and thanks for your service lark has gone through the roof since 9/11 particularly. I'm sure the Vietnam vets are bemused by all this. Where was the thanks for their service?  It's a cynical ploy, in my view, to maintain support for the foreign wars of the US, and to maintain recruitment rates.

Wonder how it would have all went down had Gore prevailed.  Would the GOP, Fox News, Limbaugh and the rest of the right wing have spent those years beating the war drums and bullying everyone into submission on Iraq and freedom fries and Hans Blix?

whitey

Quote from: AZOffaly on April 28, 2015, 12:38:43 PM
whitey, it seems to me that the whole faux patriotism and thanks for your service lark has gone through the roof since 9/11 particularly. I'm sure the Vietnam vets are bemused by all this. Where was the thanks for their service?  It's a cynical ploy, in my view, to maintain support for the foreign wars of the US, and to maintain recruitment rates.

3/4 of my wifes nephews served recently...2 in Afghanistan and 1 in Iraq. 2/3 are college graduates from good 4 year colleges and went in as officers (their dad served several tours in Vietnam and I guess that was their motivation) The third barely made it through high school and was in all types of trouble before using the Marines as a way out of a sticky situation.

The men and women who served are under no illusions that the whole thing is a crock. You send them off to fight a war woefully under equipped, then have minimal support systems in place for them when they come back. 

One of my wifes nephews fought in Marjah and commanded a team there. (1) He got shot, but was relatively unscathed due to the body armor he was wearing. When he came back stateside he had to turn in all his equipment, and was "charged" ($$) for damaging military property because his body armor was destroyed.

(2) Same guy was in a Humvee that got hit by a roadside bomb and completely screwed up his back. I dont know the ins and outs, but lets just say the medical treatment he qualified for as a veteran went nowhere near covering his needs.

I douby 1% of people in Ireland know anyone who ever fought in a war.

Id say 90%+ of people in the US know someone who fought in a war in the past 15 years.

I wouldnt call it faux patriotism...I just think the average American views the military through a completely different lens than the average Irish person


macdanger2

Considering the deficiencies you've listed Whitey (and even ignoring the rights/wrongs of any wars), why aren't people p*ssed about the military treating soldiers in that way??


whitey

Quote from: macdanger2 on April 28, 2015, 02:06:44 PM
Considering the deficiencies you've listed Whitey (and even ignoring the rights/wrongs of any wars), why aren't people p*ssed about the military treating soldiers in that way??

because they do t know the half of it