4 ms·

What’s striking to me is the stark differences in policing with the US vs other common law/Anglosphere countries, where policing is by consent. I guess the oth

What’s striking to me is the stark differences in policing with the US vs other common law/Anglosphere countries, where policing is by consent. I guess the other countries were still much more under British influence during the formation of policing?

tareqak 6y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles
x86_64Ubuntu 6y ago
The roots of policing in the US have it's origins in slave patrols. Very different from the rest of the Anglosphere. https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-a... "Slave patrols and Night Watches, which later became modern police departments, were both designed to control the behaviors of minorities."
renewiltord 6y ago
US Police and the US public see the police as enforcers in a caste system where the public is at the bottom, the enforcers are on top of them, with the lords above them. So the police aren't on the side of the public because they see the public as chaotic animals, to be managed lest they descend into anarchy. That's the general view and you can see that in The Thin Blue Line. In the UK, you can make fun of the policeman and he only wins by being better at banter. In America, that's something you don't want to do if you don't want to find yourself rapidly "disobeying a lawful order". Ever since I moved to America I realized one thing that I really should have known before. Americans have a culture of strict legalism (see "refused a lawful order", "resisted arrest", "disobeying a police officer") and are consequently culturally strongly predisposed to following authority. I really should have known this because it's sort of a universal human phenomenon where the thing that you protest that you have a lot of is often the thing you lack the most of. The City of Joy is likely one of sorrow, the City of God is likely one forsaken, and the Land of the Free is likely where you can't legally be in public the way you were born. Still, I do love America, but I have to admit to being disappointed to find that where I hoped to find free spirited people who find restrictions on their freedom unacceptable I instead found a place where the majority actually just wants strongmen and enforcers, just like anywhere else.
- sojournerc 6y ago
  There are many corners of this country that offer what you describe but they aren't on a map. Not even rural areas necessarily. The US remains a diverse and rich place, despite all efforts to distill its culture to a sound bite.
  - renewiltord 6y ago
    Well, hopefully one day I'll find those places, but so far across NC, CO, and CA it's all majority authoritarians wherever I look. It's not that life is hard for me. It's great. It's just that there are lots of authoritarians everywhere and that's harming my worldview. If you don't want to spread it too wide, I'd welcome a tip. renewiltord@protonmail.com If you feel like you'd rather not share, I understand that too.
    - sojournerc 6y ago
      I don't disagree with there being a majority of meddlesome authoritarians in the US. Largely there's a culture of strict rule-following whether or not there's a good reason for the rule. I live in a little mountain town outside of Boulder, CO. The contrast between the anti-authoritarian libertarians, cowboys and hippies in my small community and the "yuppies" just 15 miles east in Boulder is palpable. Rugged individualism is very much alive here. I have friends that live in small cabins without running water, who heat with wood and live very simply and freely. They just don't make as much noise as the authoritarians. Come listen to bluegrass in Nederland some time!
      - renewiltord 6y ago
        Very cool, dude. Thanks for the tip. Looks like a lovely town.

tareqak 6y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles

x86_64Ubuntu 6y ago

The roots of policing in the US have it's origins in slave patrols. Very different from the rest of the Anglosphere. https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-a... "Slave patrols and Night Watches, which later became modern police departments, were both designed to control the behaviors of minorities."

renewiltord 6y ago

US Police and the US public see the police as enforcers in a caste system where the public is at the bottom, the enforcers are on top of them, with the lords above them. So the police aren't on the side of the public because they see the public as chaotic animals, to be managed lest they descend into anarchy. That's the general view and you can see that in The Thin Blue Line. In the UK, you can make fun of the policeman and he only wins by being better at banter. In America, that's something you don't want to do if you don't want to find yourself rapidly "disobeying a lawful order". Ever since I moved to America I realized one thing that I really should have known before. Americans have a culture of strict legalism (see "refused a lawful order", "resisted arrest", "disobeying a police officer") and are consequently culturally strongly predisposed to following authority. I really should have known this because it's sort of a universal human phenomenon where the thing that you protest that you have a lot of is often the thing you lack the most of. The City of Joy is likely one of sorrow, the City of God is likely one forsaken, and the Land of the Free is likely where you can't legally be in public the way you were born. Still, I do love America, but I have to admit to being disappointed to find that where I hoped to find free spirited people who find restrictions on their freedom unacceptable I instead found a place where the majority actually just wants strongmen and enforcers, just like anywhere else.

sojournerc 6y ago
There are many corners of this country that offer what you describe but they aren't on a map. Not even rural areas necessarily. The US remains a diverse and rich place, despite all efforts to distill its culture to a sound bite.
- renewiltord 6y ago
  Well, hopefully one day I'll find those places, but so far across NC, CO, and CA it's all majority authoritarians wherever I look. It's not that life is hard for me. It's great. It's just that there are lots of authoritarians everywhere and that's harming my worldview. If you don't want to spread it too wide, I'd welcome a tip. renewiltord@protonmail.com If you feel like you'd rather not share, I understand that too.
  - sojournerc 6y ago
    I don't disagree with there being a majority of meddlesome authoritarians in the US. Largely there's a culture of strict rule-following whether or not there's a good reason for the rule. I live in a little mountain town outside of Boulder, CO. The contrast between the anti-authoritarian libertarians, cowboys and hippies in my small community and the "yuppies" just 15 miles east in Boulder is palpable. Rugged individualism is very much alive here. I have friends that live in small cabins without running water, who heat with wood and live very simply and freely. They just don't make as much noise as the authoritarians. Come listen to bluegrass in Nederland some time!
    - renewiltord 6y ago
      Very cool, dude. Thanks for the tip. Looks like a lovely town.