Our Police Departments have been militarized

[dutch508]

Cal33 (4,929 posts)

Our Police Departments have been militarized for some years now - and from coast to coast. It took many years of planning to have this accomplished. Who might have started all this, and what could be their purpose behind it?

Well, let's take a look at some recent history: In 2011 Occupy Wall Street began their well-publicized and peaceful demonstrations in NYC as well as many other cities throughout our country. In spite of the participants' peaceful and non-resisting behavior, they were hand-cuffed by the hundreds (and in time, by the thousands) and brought to jail. Most were released in a matter of days. All racial groups took part in these demonstrations. Eventually they spread into other parts of the world.

Here in the US, the police made it more and more difficult for OWS demonstrations to take place,
until it became well-nigh impossible. Within 2 years OWS just about died out. It had such a promising beginning!

What was OWS all about to begin with? They wanted to bring out to public attention the selfish, greedy and crooked ways the corporate business world was raking in money, and at the expense of the everyday middle-class American people - most of whom weren't even aware of how their take-home pay was shrinking steadily, instead of rising.

The question here is, On whose side do you think the police will be, should it ever come to the
situation where there was an actual confrontation between business corporations and everyday
American citizens? Just make a guess.

These days it seems to be happening every week that some new case of a black male unarmed individual, but nevertheless had been beaten and/or shot to death by police officers. The officers always gave the story of having been threatened or attacked, and their stories were accepted and the case was closed. Then it occurred several times that some passerby having a phone with a video camera happened to record the scene of the beatings and/or killings. This was clear evidence that what had actually occurred was quite different from the statements made by the police officers involved. We have all seen on TV some half dozen police officers jumping on some non-resisting individual, dragging him down, beating him with their night-sticks, and hand-cuffing him. It's sickening.

What could be a reason behind this? Do they want us citizens (the 99%) to know that they have
overwhelming power, and that they are not hesitant about using it?

Well, with our new Attorney General Lynch, we hope the Fed. Gov't will become more actively
involved in appropriate cases. I hope we won't be disappointed.
 

  Too much bullshit to even comment on.

Wait for the BUSH's fault post:

fredamae (2,766 posts)
1. Reagan began to militarize the police under the ruse of the War on Drugs, in a nut-shell. Many "justifications" have occurred over the decades since.
I must wonder if congress isn't So scared of them at this point, they're literally afraid to curb it after they set it up For them.

Oops. Reagan's fault.

Cal33 (4,929 posts)
4. "Our National Security State has taken 1984 as an instruction manual, and not a cautionary tale." I nearly burst out laughing, and would have, if it weren't so sad. The more psychopaths we have in high positions, the lower our country will fall. It's beginning to look as though one couldn't even join the GOP today without being a psychopath first.

I also heard that today many police departments will not hire as a police officer
anyone with an IQ higher than 102 or 103 (an IQ of 100 is smack in the middle).
The reason is that the more intelligent ones tend to quit because they become bored
with the job - and the training of a police officer is expensive.

So, we are stuck with police officers of average intelligence, and they often come across
situations where they have the high responsibility of having to make life-and-death
decisions on the spot. Are they equal to the job? On the other hand, more intelligent
people also tend to ask more questions, and are less likely to automatically obey.

It doesn't seem to work out too well -- either way.

That's a new one- Police have to be stupid to be a policeman. Please. 

malthaussen (5,952 posts)
5. Similarly, but less-well known...

... the military prefers soldiers of medium intellect in combat roles, because when you're not actively blowing things up, there is not a lot to do but polish brass and other mindless tasks. Exceptions made for special operations forces, who are expected to show a high degree of initiative and creativity. It is even thought that officers in command of combat troops should not have an intellect too much higher than that of their troops.

But after all, an average intellect is not a bad thing. What is bad is ignorance fostered by poor and biased education, but such ignorance feeds the egos of the ruling class and lines their pockets. It's all very short-sighted and rather dismaying.

-- Mal

Another DUmp monkey who doesn't know shit. Our military is so effective against the enemy because even our junior soldiers have the intellegence to act quickly, on their own, in dangerous situations, to take the intititive and to win the fight. DUmp monkeys know everything about the military from watching TV.

Cal33 (4,929 posts)
6. There is some degree of similarity with members of the police dep't, the military and certain

types of religious orders. Among the qualities that help people to get along well in such
a life-style is having an authoritarian type of personality. These are people who do well
taking orders from above, following them, and passing them on down to those below. I
was in the US Army for two years as a draftee. Two years I could take, but I would never
have been able to make a career out of it.

Those ruling class members who deliberately foster poor and biased education so as to
be in a better position to line their own pockets, and also to enable themselves to have
more power and control over others are, as you say, short-sighted indeed. These are the
psychopaths. They are not able to understand that their ways of bribery and corruption
have invariably led to the downfall of even the greatest nations and civilizations this world
has ever known -- nor do they care. I think we are so close to it right now.

Psychopaths make up between 2% and 4% of the general population. They are found in
higher concentrations in certain professions where the nature of the job appeals to them.
Here's a link to an article that you might find interesting: Top ten jobs that attract the
most psychopaths. They all involve the need of having power and control over others:

http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/top-10-jobs-that-attract-most-psychopaths/

 
 

You used World News Daily as a source?

libdem4life (5,494 posts)
11. I think for social progress, this is a good thing providing light into the darkness of Authority that passes for Police Privilege. Our Black brothers and sisters are now being just a bit heard...but it took video evidence to "create" these actions that ended in murders of Black Men. This is not the first time...but now we're needing to watch it, believe it and determine the proper course to real Civil Rights.

As a society, we are up for it and will not stand for it. I love it that the State Attorney in Baltimore is a Black Woman. Let's hope that translates into reality and transparency for Mr. Gray's family.

Not one of these "police brutality" cases have been shown to be real cases of brutality by the police. Not one! The gray case is the latest in a long line of racialy charged [D] attempts to drag the country down. The masses eat it up and the [D]s push for national control of the police.

[txradioguy]

In 2011 Occupy Wall Street began their well-publicized and peaceful demonstrations 
 in NYC as well as many other cities throughout our country.

Oh?

Alleged sexual assaults at Occupy Wall Street camps have raised concerns about security in a handful of cities, including reports of rape and groping in tents at New York's Zuccotti Park and a sex offender in Dallas having sex with an underage runaway.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/sexual-assaults-occupy-wall-street-camps/story?id=14873014

Central Precinct Cmdr. Bob Day said crime in three policing districts surrounding or close to Chapman and Lownsdale squares has gone up by 18 percent during Occupy Portland's presence from Oct. 6 through Nov. 6, compared to reported crimes in the same month a year ago.
 
Day, speaking Tuesday to a downtown public safety advisory group, said the bureau has noticed an increase in car break-ins, disorderly conduct, assaults, street robberies and commercial burglaries.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/11/occupy_portland_police_say_cri.html

Anarchist accused of raping a woman twice inside Occupy camp at St Paul’s 'kept sexual conquests tally on his tent'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2315208/Anarchist-accused-raping-woman-twice-inside-Occupy-camp-St-Pauls-kept-sexual-conquests-tally-tent.html

One of the leaders of the Occupy Cleveland movement, Brandon Baxter, is one of those arrested for today’s terrorist plot to bomb a bridge in Cleveland. Occupier Brandon Baxter appears to have gotten the guidance he sought.
 
OCCUPIED — Occupy Cleveland organizer Brandon Baxter gets some shade in the Occupy Cleveland tent in downtown Cleveland on March 21, 2012. Baxter, one of the few remaining members of Occupy Cleveland’s physical presence downtown, said the group has seen a sharp decline in numbers since last October because of increasing disorganization. “We need guidance,” he said.
 
Another of today’s suspects is Anthony Hayne, named previously in a report on Occupy Cleveland.
 
“I just want to be very clear: we are not occupying Lakewood,” said Anthony Hayne, who is organizing the information session. Hayne, a Lakewood resident since 2001, said there will be about six or seven members of Occupy Cleveland, which stems from the Occupy Wall Street movement, at the table Saturday.

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/01/breaking-anarchist-ring-busted-by-feds-plotted-bombings-in-cleveland/


And lest we forget this "peaceful" protester

[RayRaytheSBS]

malthaussen (5,952 posts)
5. Similarly, but less-well known...

... the military prefers soldiers of medium intellect in combat roles, because when you're not actively blowing things up, there is not a lot to do but polish brass and other mindless tasks. Exceptions made for special operations forces, who are expected to show a high degree of initiative and creativity. It is even thought that officers in command of combat troops should not have an intellect too much higher than that of their troops.

But after all, an average intellect is not a bad thing. What is bad is ignorance fostered by poor and biased education, but such ignorance feeds the egos of the ruling class and lines their pockets. It's all very short-sighted and rather dismaying.

-- Mal

This is the biggest bit of  B.S. I have seen. I have been in the Infantry for many years now,and the ASVAB scores required for the Infantry are High, at least a 110 in the General Technical with a 3-point line exception being allowed.

Most of my soldiers are pretty damn smart. I have three that have bachelor's degrees, and one who worked at the state department. One was a firefighter prior to entering the military. I've had soldiers who were in NASCAR Pit crews, and some who were farmers, but they were ALL smart, bright individuals.

This DUche needs to shut the !@#$! up about things it doesn't know and could never understand, and sit in the corner and color. That is about all I expect it to be able to do, and it'll still mess that up.

[JohnnyReb]

YANKEEs BURN ATLANTA........AGAIN......MAYBE

Two police officers shoot black woman sitting in police car......she's black.....so are the officers.

http://news.yahoo.com/police-kill-person-fired-them-inside-patrol-car-225022057.html

It's short, read it.

[FlippyDoo]

Cal33 (4,929 posts)
6. There is some degree of similarity with members of the police dep't, the military and certain

types of religious orders. Among the qualities that help people to get along well in such
a life-style is having an authoritarian type of personality. These are people who do well
taking orders from above, following them, and passing them on down to those below. I
was in the US Army for two years as a draftee. Two years I could take, but I would never
have been able to make a career out of it.

Those ruling class members who deliberately foster poor and biased education so as to
be in a better position to line their own pockets, and also to enable themselves to have
more power and control over others are, as you say, short-sighted indeed. These are the
psychopaths. They are not able to understand that their ways of bribery and corruption
have invariably led to the downfall of even the greatest nations and civilizations this world
has ever known -- nor do they care. I think we are so close to it right now.

Psychopaths make up between 2% and 4% of the general population. They are found in
higher concentrations in certain professions where the nature of the job appeals to them.
Here's a link to an article that you might find interesting: Top ten jobs that attract the
most psychopaths. They all involve the need of having power and control over others:

First, let's look at the definition of psychopath: a person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior.

Second, the top ten list shown on WND only includes jobs. Not everyone has a job. Some work very hard to avoid employment. I have it on good authority that a second more inclusive list exists that includes both employed and unemployed. Below is a peek at the number one spot on the inclusive list...

1. Poster on DU

[SVPete]

  The tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists have awoken from their contrail-and-cannabis-induced stupors!

I won't dignify their vile and stupid excretions any further than to point out that it is BHO's administration that for the last 6+ years has been returning these dangerously paranoid veterans to the streets and selling used military equipment to police departments around the US.

  Light up, equine-anus morons!

[Rebel]

malthaussen (5,952 posts)
5. Similarly, but less-well known...

... the military prefers soldiers of medium intellect in combat roles, because when you're not actively blowing things up, there is not a lot to do but polish brass...

What a f'n idiot. Polish brass? Sta-Brite.

[obumazombie]

Cal talks about IQs that are "smack in the middle".
Cal could write his own epitaph with that kind of irony.

[DumbAss Tanker]

malthaussen (5,952 posts)
5. Similarly, but less-well known...

... the military prefers soldiers of medium intellect in combat roles, because when you're not actively blowing things up, there is not a lot to do but polish brass and other mindless tasks.

No military I was ever in.  Maybe malt-house is talking about the Red Army of the Cold War era.

Stupid soldiers get in trouble a lot more, panic easier (Movie stereotypes notwithstanding), lack initiative, and aren't adaptive.  The thing that made the Army of Gulf 1 and 2 such a powerful force was Reagan's DOD raising the pay and recruiting standards.  When I first enlisted in the Jimmuh Carter administration, they were having to take 40% Cat IVs and there were more GEDs and drop-outs than HS grads.  By the end of the Reagan administration, you had to have a cousin in Congress to get in with a GED.

Even in the depths of the Carter Calamity, the service support and combat support troops were a notch below the combat arms troops in all those necessary military qualities.

[txradioguy]

malthaussen (5,952 posts)
5. Similarly, but less-well known...

... the military prefers soldiers of medium intellect in combat roles, because when you're not actively blowing things up, there is not a lot to do but polish brass and other mindless tasks.

Hmmm...let me dispel that myth

American soldiers are more educated than their peers. A little more than 1 percent of enlisted personnel lack a high school degree, compared to 21 percent of men 18-24 years old, and 95 percent of officer accessions have at least a bachelor's degree.


Contrary to popular perceptions, America's enlisted troops are not poorly educated. Previous Heritage Foundation studies found that enlisted troops were significantly more likely to have a high school education than their peers. This is still the case. Only 1.4 percent of enlisted recruits in 2007 had not graduated from high school or completed a high school equivalency degree, compared to 20.8 percent of men ages 18 to 24. America's soldiers are less likely than civilians to be high school dropouts.

The military requires at least 90 percent of enlisted recruits to have high school diplomas.[6] Most enlisted recruits do not have a college degree because they enlist before they would attend college. However, many recruits use the educational benefits offered by the military to attend college after they leave the armed forces.

More evidence of the quality of America's enlisted forces comes from the standardized Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) that the military administers to all recruits. Over two-thirds of enlisted recruits scored above the 50th percentile on the AFQT. The military tightly restricts how many recruits it accepts with scores below the 30th percentile, and only 2.3 percent of recruits in 2007 scored between the 21st and 30th percentiles (Category IVA; see Chart 3). The military does not accept any recruits in the bottom 20 percent.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2008/08/who-serves-in-the-us-military-the-demographics-of-enlisted-troops-and-officers

[obumazombie]

When the libs grasp at straws they end up with handfuls of manure that they don't know from shinola.




edit+y

[Big Dog]

Cal33 (4,929 posts) 

Our Police Departments have been militarized for some years now - and from coast to coast. It took many years of planning to have this accomplished.

"Militarized"- undefined.

"For some years now"- so vague as to be meaningless. Is the DUmmy talking about the Texas Rangers during the last 20 years of the 19th century; the use of BARs by police in the 1930s; J Edgar Hoover's "war on crime"; Philadelphia PD dropping a bomb on a house in 1978; the ATF and FBI seige on the Branch Davidians in 1993;  the de facto imposition of martial law after Hurricane Katrina in 2005; or that the most popular law enforcement sidearm in the United States for the past 20 years is an Austrian military pistol?

"many years of planning" - by whom? Too vague, DUmmy. Name names.

With DUmmies it is so diffucult to tell what they really mean. Buzz, do you want to translate DUmmy to English for us?