4 ms·

The US has a very difficult to problem to solve within the ranks of its police. They've become militarized to an extreme degree, which is in turn either moving

The US has a very difficult to problem to solve within the ranks of its police. They've become militarized to an extreme degree, which is in turn either moving their rank-and-file more to the right, or attracting those who are already there, or both. The NYPD, as an example, have had multiple instances of openly supporting Trump while on duty [0] and just yesterday, I think it was the head of Chicago police union severely downplayed the Capitol riot and even openly sympathized with them in the media [1]. Add on top of that the images of the Capitol police either taking selfies with the rioters or moving the gates out of the way to let them in, and yeah, you've got a problem. I hopefully don't need to further elucidate why that polarization is a very bad thing. It amazes me that so many of my friends -- I'm white, middle-class, from the Midwest -- do not understand why so many fellow citizens are afraid of the cops and feel like there are two systems in place. [0] https://www.newsweek.com/nypd-officer-trump-2020-suspended-jews-rally-1542031 https://www.newsweek.com/nypd-officer-trump-2020-suspended-j... [1] https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-police-union-boss-sympathizes-with-trump-protesters-rejects-comparisons-of-capitol-riot-to-blm/ https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicago-police-union-bos...

jonny_eh 6y ago
> I hopefully don't need to further elucidate why that polarization is a very bad thing This isn't polarization, it's radicalization.
valuearb 6y ago
His interview was apparently before the DC officer succumbed to his injuries, otherwise he would have used a different word dance to try to explain why this was different than anarchists rioting at BLM protests.
dehrmann 6y ago
> They've become militarized to an extreme degree, which is in turn either moving their rank-and-file more to the right I'm not sure if I buy that this moves them to the right. It might make them more authoritarian, but that's separate from left/right politics.
- exogeny 6y ago
  I would posit that authoritarian tendencies and mindsets are very tightly correlated with the right in the US.
  - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
    In some ways, but not in others. For instance, many people on the left consider mandatory vaccination something they strongly support. Sure, the science supports the benefits to society, and most people opposed are misinformed or crazy, but it's still advocating for the government to mandate your body be injected with a synthetic substance against your will. The left is more than happy to mandate everyone participate in social programs to help disadvantaged members of society, the individual mandate of ObamaCare is authoritarian: It requires people who are unlikely to benefit to pay in to cover those who are unprofitable to provide health coverage to. I am definitely in support of universal healthcare, but it's also arguably an authoritarian choice to implement it. Democrats absolutely will be authoritarian when it believes removing individual freedoms will benefit society as a whole, placing overall wellness and equality as priorities. On the right, authoritarianism heavily shows with enforcing moral values. It isn't enough for someone on the right to oppose abortion, it needs to be taken away from everyone. (If you consider abortion to be murder, by the way, this position makes logical sense. You wouldn't say "I don't believe in killing people, but I won't take away your right to do it" because that's silly.) Bans on gay marriage or drug use have less to do with societal well-being and more with the religiously-set values of what is "right" and "good".
    - krapp 6y ago
      To be fair, the left didn't want Obamacare, the left wanted European-style nationalized healthcare. Obamacare was more the result of sabotage by the Republicans and desperate compromises made by Obama for the sake of his legacy than actual leftist policy.
      - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
        True, but I don't think that invalidates my point: The left would've technically chosen a more authoritarian policy, where they charge everyone for healthcare (via taxes) non-optionally and with no provider choice. It's also likely true the outcome would've been a better system too.
exogeny 6y ago
I have no idea why this is being downvoted, other than potentially because people don't want to hear it, admit it, or listen to minorities who have talked it ad infinitum. This is a great read on subject [0]. [0] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidden-plain-sight-racism-white-supremacy-and-far-right-militancy-law https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidd...

jonny_eh 6y ago

> I hopefully don't need to further elucidate why that polarization is a very bad thing This isn't polarization, it's radicalization.

valuearb 6y ago

His interview was apparently before the DC officer succumbed to his injuries, otherwise he would have used a different word dance to try to explain why this was different than anarchists rioting at BLM protests.

dehrmann 6y ago

> They've become militarized to an extreme degree, which is in turn either moving their rank-and-file more to the right I'm not sure if I buy that this moves them to the right. It might make them more authoritarian, but that's separate from left/right politics.

exogeny 6y ago
I would posit that authoritarian tendencies and mindsets are very tightly correlated with the right in the US.
- ocdtrekkie 6y ago
  In some ways, but not in others. For instance, many people on the left consider mandatory vaccination something they strongly support. Sure, the science supports the benefits to society, and most people opposed are misinformed or crazy, but it's still advocating for the government to mandate your body be injected with a synthetic substance against your will. The left is more than happy to mandate everyone participate in social programs to help disadvantaged members of society, the individual mandate of ObamaCare is authoritarian: It requires people who are unlikely to benefit to pay in to cover those who are unprofitable to provide health coverage to. I am definitely in support of universal healthcare, but it's also arguably an authoritarian choice to implement it. Democrats absolutely will be authoritarian when it believes removing individual freedoms will benefit society as a whole, placing overall wellness and equality as priorities. On the right, authoritarianism heavily shows with enforcing moral values. It isn't enough for someone on the right to oppose abortion, it needs to be taken away from everyone. (If you consider abortion to be murder, by the way, this position makes logical sense. You wouldn't say "I don't believe in killing people, but I won't take away your right to do it" because that's silly.) Bans on gay marriage or drug use have less to do with societal well-being and more with the religiously-set values of what is "right" and "good".
  - krapp 6y ago
    To be fair, the left didn't want Obamacare, the left wanted European-style nationalized healthcare. Obamacare was more the result of sabotage by the Republicans and desperate compromises made by Obama for the sake of his legacy than actual leftist policy.
    - ocdtrekkie 6y ago
      True, but I don't think that invalidates my point: The left would've technically chosen a more authoritarian policy, where they charge everyone for healthcare (via taxes) non-optionally and with no provider choice. It's also likely true the outcome would've been a better system too.

exogeny 6y ago

I have no idea why this is being downvoted, other than potentially because people don't want to hear it, admit it, or listen to minorities who have talked it ad infinitum. This is a great read on subject [0]. [0] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidden-plain-sight-racism-white-supremacy-and-far-right-militancy-law https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidd...