Comply Or Die
This is a must read for all American Patriots. This article by John Whitehead over at Counterpunch explains where we are and how we proceed:
"Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us? The constitutional theory is that we the people are the sovereigns, the state and federal officials only our agents. We who have the final word can speak softly or angrily. We can seek to challenge and annoy, as we need not stay docile and quiet.”
—Justice William O. Douglas, dissenting, Colten v. Kentucky, 407 U.S. 104 (1972)
1972 was a long, long time ago. Here's the new reality:
It’s all a lie.
There can be no free speech for the citizenry when the government speaks in a language of force.
What is this language of force?
Militarized police. Riot squads. Camouflage gear. Black uniforms. Armored vehicles. Mass arrests. Pepper spray. Tear gas. Batons. Strip searches. Surveillance cameras. Kevlar vests. Drones. Lethal weapons. Less-than-lethal weapons unleashed with deadly force. Rubber bullets. Water cannons. Stun grenades. Arrests of journalists. Crowd control tactics. Intimidation tactics. Brutality.
This is not the language of freedom.
This is not even the language of law and order.
This is the language of force.
Here's a quote from LAPD Officer Friendly:
Indeed, as Officer Sunil Dutta of the Los Angeles Police Department advises:
"If you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you, don’t say I’m a racist pig, don’t threaten that you’ll sue me and take away my badge. Don’t scream at me that you pay my salary, and don’t even think of aggressively walking towards me."
This is not the rhetoric of a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.
This is not the attitude of someone who understands, let alone respects, free speech.
And this is certainly not what I would call “community policing,” which is supposed to emphasize the importance of the relationship between the police and the community they serve.
There's more, including one example of rational, de-escalation of a protest in St. Louis back in 2011.
Nobody said taking America back from the global corporate fascists was gonna be easy. Whitehead outlines the path forward: https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/12/comply-or-die-the-police-states-...
Comments
Don't scream at me that you
pay my salary. Boy, the arrogance of that remarks makes me want to "aggressively walk towards" him. You know buddy, sometimes people DO scream when they get upset or are under stress, which is the most likely state you'll find them in when you are called in to "help" them. Asshole.
I once had a somewhat hysterical reaction to a cop myself and I can say, I was not reasonable, I was highly stressed out and massively defensive. If I had been black I know damned well he'd have knocked me down in my own damned house if he wanted to. It was an ugly and stupid scene, and while I blamed myself for being such an idiot, I also wrote his department a letter and explained just why I was so unreasonable. I didn't want them having me on some crazy list and besides, the guy overstepped and was an asshole about it.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
Poor Training
and a bad attitude. Way too typical in law enforcement. Belligerent escalation is their automatic approach to every situation. Good follow up on the complaint. I've written a few myself with little or no results, but doing the right thing is a good feeling.
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
This is why
I tend to try and know as many of my local police as I can and what they're doing. I spread what I know to others within the community.
The small burg where I live has only 12 full time officers. One is a neighbor.
They know myself and others are watching. They know we'll say something if they do something wrong and we find out.
They've made changes to some of their bad habits just by myself and others making them aware that we are here and we give a shit about everybody's rights.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Thank you for your service.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
A Perfect Example
Also from Counterpunch, an analysis of how Grass Roots pressure works:
Conclusion:
We can fucking do this!
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/11/health-care-repeal-fallout-on-th...
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
Good question
As to what officer Dutta said, it's unbelievable how many people parrot this same thing over and over again whenever a cop shoots someone. It seems that more conservatives believe this line of think. I read this all the time on my local news website in Utah.
The people who cheered what the police did to the OWS, BLM and DAPL protesters. I think that the police are doing an experiment to see how far they can push people before they rise up against them.
Just look at how many people think their actions were okay.
After the Boston bombings, the police swarmed into Waterton and said they were looking for the bombers. They went from house to house telling people that they had to leave so they could search their houses without a warrant. And most of the people allowed this to happen because they were scared.
This country first experienced a private mercenary company being allowed to police Americans after Katrina and I'm sure that people remember how that turned out.
The next experiment was the DAPL protests when TigerSwan another mercenary company was in charge of the security forces. Energy transfer, a foreign company hired them to take care of the protesters. TigerSwan didn't have the permits for their actions according to a 5 part series on the Intercept.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Blackwatervand Afghanistan
Now Trump is being advised to subcontract the Afghan war to Blackwater/DynCorp:
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/07/08/risk-of-unleashing-mad-dog-mattis/
Can't, find the story, but I read that Gen. Mad Dog Mattis nixed the idea, which is why Gen Mad Dog is "too liberal" for conservatives.
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
Is this the article you mentioned?
Trump Aides Recruited Businessmen to Devise Options for Afghanistan
Just another way to transfer wealth to the corporations. Mercenaries are paid much more than military members. In fact, many military families have to rely on food stamps.
If there is enough money in the budget to pay for mercenaries, there's enough to pay our troops more so they don't have to rely on SNAP.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
And enough to pay
for FDR's safety net. America broke, my ass. Take money out of the military budget to pay for the safety net. Anything left over is the military budget.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
FDR's. And LBJ's, too!
LBJ's, too! And real health care. like civilized countries have!
We'd have to reduce military spending.... down to maybe twice what the rest of the world spends combined (currently it's north of 4X!)!
The Stupid, it truly burns!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Many police departments are sending their officers
to Israel to be trained by their IDF military. This has been happening since the police started being militarized.
The other actions that the police are known to do is have some of them dress in all black and start the violence themselves.
I watched a video of this happening during the G20 protests.
I'll try to find the video that shows this.
As the article states, the protests don't turn violent until the police show up and agitates the crowds.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
EXPOSED!
G20 Toronto Police Agent Provocateurs in Video and Photos - WATCH @ 2:35 for total proof
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
??? this is not the G20 in Hamburg
the video was released 2010.
Hamburg's police was also dressed in black.
Confused.
https://www.euronews.com/live
@mimi
Dunno if this was sorted out downthread, but just in case:
Toronto, Canada, G20 meeting.
These sprout up like toxic mushrooms all over the world.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Seems like classic entrapment ploy used by cops for PR purposes
Leave a police car in an area where protestors are (I bet if one looks there are no personal belongings, weapons, etc inside), and eventually have the provocateurs move in to start rocking the car. A few others join, and voila, the next thing you know the car is on its side and flipped over.
Cops inform the media and they put it on the front page. Fox then runs the images 24/7 to scare the fuck out of soft, ignorant, fear-laden, self-centered white Americans.
It justifies all the police thuggery and brutality, and puts a pox on any legitimate protest movement. And of corse has the added benefit of solidifying allegiance to the Police as the "good guys," out there in a crazy world "protecting our freedoms" and from these bad, immoral, librul, commie hippies who don't wanna work.
"Get a job!"
Bastards.
Of all the people Jimmy Dore called out in this segment on a fete in the Hamptons hosted by the heiress to the WaPo, most disconcerting of all, to me, were the names of the two former NYPD Police Commissioners, Kelly and Bratton.
Confirming once and for all, the police forces are the pawns of the oligarchy, in their employ and at their beckon call. They serve and protect alright, but mostly exclusively rich white people's property.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
funny local story about cops
Talking to Sonny, an older man who was working as a night waterman at a local golf club. He happened by the clubhouse late at night and noticed two squad cars. Heard this crashing sound, then witnessed two "officers of the law" stealing golf clubs, members personal belongings from their lockers, clothing and golf balls, stashing it all in the trunks of their cruisers. He said - Shit, who do I call? Turns out the chief was not crooked and "handled" the situation. Didn't make it to the news. Called vandalism or some such. Shit, who you gonna call?
I am not happy with the New World Police request to -
"comply first and ask questions latter" approach to enforcement. Resisting charges are quickly followed by the demand to "comply". I've often heard that the U.S. police are being trained with an Israeli theory of "shock and awe" - but have not seen any first hand accounts of this training...
peace
FN
"Democracy is technique and the ability of power not to be understood as oppressor. Capitalism is the boss and democracy is its spokesperson." Peace - FN
Israeli Training For American Cops
Here:
https://www.google.com/amp/thefreethoughtproject.com/u-s-police-routinel...
Here:
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/07/11/chicago-police-adopt-israeli-tacti...
"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn
When TigerSwan was in charge of the police during the
DAPL protests, they didn't see the protesters as humans, but as enemy combatants. This attitude is why private mercenary companies should not be allowed to operate in this country.
The police should have to handle the protests and should not be allowed to use their military equipment on protesters.
When they bring their toys and look like storm troopers, it's just like this saying: "when one has a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
This was proven in St. Louis when the police showed up in their regular uniforms. The protests only turn violent when they show up with their military gear and equipment.
Here's the link to the Intercept article on TigerSwan. This part of the article starts with the 5th part of the series. Click on the link that says expand all sections and the 4 other articles will appear.
TIGERSWAN FACES LAWSUIT OVER UNLICENSED SECURITY OPERATIONS IN NORTH DAKOTA
After the DAPL protests, they tried to go to another pipeline protest.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
This is another article on the Israeli military
training our police forces.
So Israel isn't only interfering with our elections, they are training our police forces.
Gee, what could possibly go wrong?
Hammer/Nail.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
"Stop resisting! Stop
resisting!" said the copper to the barely conscious handcuffed perp as he was beating the crap out of him with his night stick. Gotta get that "stop resisting" on tape.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Yes, that's an excellent essay. I like the part about how the
cops handled the protest in St. Louis. Definite lessons to be learned. Posted this the other day at JPR.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020
"Peace Officers", my where-it-don't-shine!
The cops down here aka OPD are always costing us taxpayers a small fortune paying off their police brutality cases. This pig mindset is colorblind. They've lost cases where the unarmed victims were black, brown and white. A very bad, poorly trained expensive joke. However, I've worked political events lately where they have made themselves scarce. Hope that behavior continues. With the lax gun laws in this state, a riot could easily turn into a massive bloodbath. Scary. Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Until police departments have to start paying the lawsuits
out of their budgets or their other funds, nothing is going to change their behavior.
And until juries quit not holding police responsible for their actions, nothing is going to change.
The cop who shot Walter Scott (?) in the back was brought up on charges, but the jury couldn't agree that he was guilty. The cops know that all they need to say is "I was in fear for my life" and the juries will believe them.
There are too many people who hold cops in high esteem and think that if they shoot an unarmed person, the person deserved it because they didn't obey the cop's orders.
The person who was shot deserved it because they were THUGS and on drugs or didn't obey them.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
That people don't
connect this situation and attitude with the Forever War ... how can people miss that?
That our War to Terrorize Everyone on Earth is directly related to racism and the strangling of all positive and genuinely useful efforts at home and abroad, is equally obvious.
Orwell: Where's the omelette?
This x 100,000,000,000,000!
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Our city PD (not Sheriff) just got $100K for a SWAT team
Closest one was a one hour drive. I feel soooo much safer. Thay did check whether the grant would affect Sanctuary City designation first.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.