4 ms·

I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and res

I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and resist violently. Ruby Ridge. Waco. Oklahoma City. Right-wing groups have consistently demonstrated their ability and will to resist encroachment on their rights and freedoms. Whether those rights and freedoms are morally legitimate is irrelevant on the streets, especially for those with skin in the game. At the end of the day, the police just want to go back home to their families, and being shot isn't a part of that. Meanwhile, left-wing groups don't resist to the same degree and in the same manner...because not blowing up a daycare with a truck bomb is the responsible thing to do. Hence they get stomped on. The right understands and has always remembered what the left has forgotten. Freedom isn't free, and the price is much, much, much higher than going out and waving a sign for a few days.

metalliqaz 6y ago
> I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and resist violently. ...and because all police are right-leaning, and in some cases right-wing themselves.
- yingw787 6y ago
  A police officer's job is keeping order, and they're paid by the state, not directly by taxpayers. So they're enforcers for whatever order the state decides works for them. If left-wing groups paid police officers to run long-term private security, and infiltrated law enforcement, and did all the stuff right-wing groups did, police officers might start espousing more left-wing takes on matters like treating protesters with respect as fellow citizens. I don't like how things are, and I don't agree with right-wing groups. I'm pointing out a hard truth. I think it's great that people are out on the streets asking for what they want, and that more and more people are listening to them. But I'm pessimistic that anybody in power will enact meaningful change, because the protesters don't act by the laws of power. That will become ever more important, and the failings ever clearer, the more and more people in power respect only power and not substantive public policy.
rtkwe 6y ago
Another reason is there's a lot of police that are sympathetic or even members of those far right and white supremacist groups. (eg: the Lynwood Vikings a white supremacist gang in LA composed entirely of deputy sheriffs) [0]. It's not isolated either and supremacist groups in some cases encourage members to join the police. [1] The podcast Behind the Bastards is doing a series at the moment about the direct evolution from slave patrols to police and the, lets say cozy, relationship between groups like the KKK and police. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynwood_Vikings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynwood_Vikings [1] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-i...
- yingw787 6y ago
  You bring up a great point. Right-wing groups are highly proactive about using every lever at their disposal to advance their agenda, including infiltration of government agencies. I don't think it has to be strictly right-wing groups, though. Scientology, whose political leanings I'm unfamiliar with, infiltrated a variety of government agencies, and as far as I know only paid a one-time price (short prison terms for leadership) for long-term gains in unchecked reach and influence. All of which brings to question what moderates and left-wing groups are doing in order to secure their own future in this country. As an alternative to committing crimes, I found South Korea's protest model fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Geun-hye#Choi_Soon-sil_scandal_and_impeachment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Geun-hye#Choi_Soon-sil_sc... 1 million people sat in the government square for two whole months in winter in order to force the president of South Korea to not just resign, but forcibly impeached. When was the last time we in the U.S. did that? MLK's million man march comes to mind, but I think that was only one day. Going back further rings no bells for me. I don't think you have to rely on the police to be sympathetic to your cause to get what you want. You do need to exert material losses on certain levers of power. Cause enough pain to certain keys, and they will unlock the safe for you, doesn't matter what they believe in. Right-wing groups bomb and shoot people, because their numbers are low and they need disproportionate acts to get the respect they want. South Korea shuts down the country, because consistently doing one act is easy when many people are on the same page and want the same thing. The great thing about powerful people is there's so many different ways to hurt them. It sounds sociopathic because it is. Waving a sign for one day used to work because for most of our history we had leaders who genuinely wanted to work for us, they just didn't know where it fell in terms of priorities. For those who crave power and nothing else, us waving a sign does absolutely nothing.
dragonwriter 6y ago
> I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and resist violently I think the reason police treat right-wing groups more leniently is that police officers, at all ranks from cadets through chiefs, and the prosecutors with whom they work, are more likely themselves to be members of right-wing groups.
- AnimalMuppet 6y ago
  I had to read that twice to figure out that I might agree with it. Likely to be members of right-wing groups? No. More likely than they are to be members of, say, antifa? Probably yes. I'm not sure I buy that that's why the police treat right-wing groups more leniently, though. But then, based on news reports over the last year or two, I'm not sure that the police treat right-wing groups more leniently than left-wing. It looks to me that the police are letting both proceed a fair distance past the point where I think they should be reined in. (But who knows how far you can trust the news reports about such events...)

metalliqaz 6y ago

> I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and resist violently. ...and because all police are right-leaning, and in some cases right-wing themselves.

yingw787 6y ago
A police officer's job is keeping order, and they're paid by the state, not directly by taxpayers. So they're enforcers for whatever order the state decides works for them. If left-wing groups paid police officers to run long-term private security, and infiltrated law enforcement, and did all the stuff right-wing groups did, police officers might start espousing more left-wing takes on matters like treating protesters with respect as fellow citizens. I don't like how things are, and I don't agree with right-wing groups. I'm pointing out a hard truth. I think it's great that people are out on the streets asking for what they want, and that more and more people are listening to them. But I'm pessimistic that anybody in power will enact meaningful change, because the protesters don't act by the laws of power. That will become ever more important, and the failings ever clearer, the more and more people in power respect only power and not substantive public policy.

rtkwe 6y ago

Another reason is there's a lot of police that are sympathetic or even members of those far right and white supremacist groups. (eg: the Lynwood Vikings a white supremacist gang in LA composed entirely of deputy sheriffs) [0]. It's not isolated either and supremacist groups in some cases encourage members to join the police. [1] The podcast Behind the Bastards is doing a series at the moment about the direct evolution from slave patrols to police and the, lets say cozy, relationship between groups like the KKK and police. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynwood_Vikings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynwood_Vikings [1] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-i...

yingw787 6y ago
You bring up a great point. Right-wing groups are highly proactive about using every lever at their disposal to advance their agenda, including infiltration of government agencies. I don't think it has to be strictly right-wing groups, though. Scientology, whose political leanings I'm unfamiliar with, infiltrated a variety of government agencies, and as far as I know only paid a one-time price (short prison terms for leadership) for long-term gains in unchecked reach and influence. All of which brings to question what moderates and left-wing groups are doing in order to secure their own future in this country. As an alternative to committing crimes, I found South Korea's protest model fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Geun-hye#Choi_Soon-sil_scandal_and_impeachment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Geun-hye#Choi_Soon-sil_sc... 1 million people sat in the government square for two whole months in winter in order to force the president of South Korea to not just resign, but forcibly impeached. When was the last time we in the U.S. did that? MLK's million man march comes to mind, but I think that was only one day. Going back further rings no bells for me. I don't think you have to rely on the police to be sympathetic to your cause to get what you want. You do need to exert material losses on certain levers of power. Cause enough pain to certain keys, and they will unlock the safe for you, doesn't matter what they believe in. Right-wing groups bomb and shoot people, because their numbers are low and they need disproportionate acts to get the respect they want. South Korea shuts down the country, because consistently doing one act is easy when many people are on the same page and want the same thing. The great thing about powerful people is there's so many different ways to hurt them. It sounds sociopathic because it is. Waving a sign for one day used to work because for most of our history we had leaders who genuinely wanted to work for us, they just didn't know where it fell in terms of priorities. For those who crave power and nothing else, us waving a sign does absolutely nothing.

dragonwriter 6y ago

> I think the reason police treat right-wing groups far more leniently than left-wing groups is because right-wing groups are much more likely to be armed and resist violently I think the reason police treat right-wing groups more leniently is that police officers, at all ranks from cadets through chiefs, and the prosecutors with whom they work, are more likely themselves to be members of right-wing groups.

AnimalMuppet 6y ago
I had to read that twice to figure out that I might agree with it. Likely to be members of right-wing groups? No. More likely than they are to be members of, say, antifa? Probably yes. I'm not sure I buy that that's why the police treat right-wing groups more leniently, though. But then, based on news reports over the last year or two, I'm not sure that the police treat right-wing groups more leniently than left-wing. It looks to me that the police are letting both proceed a fair distance past the point where I think they should be reined in. (But who knows how far you can trust the news reports about such events...)