4 ms·

I can't be the only one who finds it disturbing to abbreviate the Secret Service as the SS.

wrs 7y ago
Considering this is a description of a raid conducted by government agents in order to damage innocent peoples’ property and livelihood and strike terror into others, that abbreviation may be intentional.
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
Ironically enough they're probably the branch of federal law enforcement that has that comparison made the least frequently. Compared to ATF, FBI, DHS, ICE, etc, the Secret Service seems to run a pretty tight ship. When you hear about them doing dumb things it's usually just unprofessional shenanigans as opposed to completely neglecting to do their jobs properly and killing or imprisoning people in the process which is what the others are known for.
- thephyber 7y ago
  Note that the a Secret Service, ATF and ICE are all sub-departments within DHS, although there was talk as recently as this month to move Secret Service back to Treasury Dept. It does seem clear that some of these departments have lesser tarnished reputations than, say, CBP (which generally struggles to recruit anyone literate, let alone the standards of the FBI or Secret Service).
pvg 7y ago
If you want to be further meta-disturbed, the literal meaning of "Schutzstaffel" (protection squad/unit/whatnot) describes the best-known part of the Secret Service's job better than it describes that of the Nazi SS.
perl4ever 7y ago
SS has long been used to mean "Super Sport" by GM. I feel like it didn't used to have bad associations for virtually anybody, but like an unwanted immune reaction, first someone says it makes them uncomfortable, and then another person who is antagonized by everything being attacked as racist or fascist declares that they think it's fine, and then a third, possibly just a troublemaker, defends the person who thinks it's ok and associates it with fascism as if that should be positive.
nkrisc 7y ago
Off-topic to the off-topic, but I cringe slightly whenever someone is discussing a technical problem and talks about their "final solution." That term is forever tainted for me, kind of like "SS" as an acronym. I never say anything though, because really it's the correct term for what they're describing.

wrs 7y ago

Considering this is a description of a raid conducted by government agents in order to damage innocent peoples’ property and livelihood and strike terror into others, that abbreviation may be intentional.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

Ironically enough they're probably the branch of federal law enforcement that has that comparison made the least frequently. Compared to ATF, FBI, DHS, ICE, etc, the Secret Service seems to run a pretty tight ship. When you hear about them doing dumb things it's usually just unprofessional shenanigans as opposed to completely neglecting to do their jobs properly and killing or imprisoning people in the process which is what the others are known for.

thephyber 7y ago
Note that the a Secret Service, ATF and ICE are all sub-departments within DHS, although there was talk as recently as this month to move Secret Service back to Treasury Dept. It does seem clear that some of these departments have lesser tarnished reputations than, say, CBP (which generally struggles to recruit anyone literate, let alone the standards of the FBI or Secret Service).

pvg 7y ago

If you want to be further meta-disturbed, the literal meaning of "Schutzstaffel" (protection squad/unit/whatnot) describes the best-known part of the Secret Service's job better than it describes that of the Nazi SS.

perl4ever 7y ago

SS has long been used to mean "Super Sport" by GM. I feel like it didn't used to have bad associations for virtually anybody, but like an unwanted immune reaction, first someone says it makes them uncomfortable, and then another person who is antagonized by everything being attacked as racist or fascist declares that they think it's fine, and then a third, possibly just a troublemaker, defends the person who thinks it's ok and associates it with fascism as if that should be positive.

nkrisc 7y ago

Off-topic to the off-topic, but I cringe slightly whenever someone is discussing a technical problem and talks about their "final solution." That term is forever tainted for me, kind of like "SS" as an acronym. I never say anything though, because really it's the correct term for what they're describing.