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>over-militarized Can you explain what you mean by this? I've heard this term a lot, but it's not clear which aspect is the issue. For example, bullet proof ve

>over-militarized Can you explain what you mean by this? I've heard this term a lot, but it's not clear which aspect is the issue. For example, bullet proof vests: how is this bad? Similar with rifles such as the AR-15 - police already had pistols, nobody called them militarized for that. A riffle is just a more accurate pistol. I'd rather a cop have a riffle than a pistol for that reason: it's more safe. Beyond these two new things, I don't know what is new that should be called "over-militarized". For the record, I'm not in favor of these robots and actualy I think this is an example of real militarization as it allows greater control by higher ups essentially turning cities into war games run by police generals. Police are meant to generally keep peace; a murder robot has a specific objective like a solder on the battlefield. I just mean this term as it has been used generally.

cmckn 4y ago
Police departments literally own tanks. https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/towns-dont-need-tanks-they-have-them https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/towns-dont-need-... Plus things like grenade launchers are provided to police departments by the Department of Defense, at steep discounts or for free, through the 1033 Program: https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Law-Enforcement/Join-The-Program/ https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Law-Enforcem...
- Alupis 4y ago
  To be pedantic, that is not a tank. That is an armored personnel carrier. The article is also wrong about the military restraining from using .50 caliber machine guns on infantry... but it's very clear the person that wrote the article really doesn't know much about these things anyway. I agree the uses for a .50 caliber machine gun for policing is very, very few if any. However, .50 caliber firearms are indeed used quite often, just not automatic ones.
eloisius 4y ago
I think this phrase showed up around the time police departments started getting military hand-me-downs like MRAPs.
germinalphrase 4y ago
A great deal of the following text focuses on this exact issue. Dig in. Cities Under Siege: The New Military Urbanism by Stephen Graham “ Drawing on a wealth of original research, Stephen Graham shows how Western militaries and security forces now perceive all urban terrain as a conflict zone inhabited by lurking shadow enemies. Urban inhabitants have become targets that need to be continually tracked, scanned and controlled. Graham examines the transformation of Western armies into high-tech urban counter-insurgency forces. He looks at the militarization and surveillance of international borders, the use of ‘security’ concerns to suppress democratic dissent, and the enacting of legislation to suspend civilian law. In doing so, he reveals how the New Military Urbanism permeates the entire fabric of urban life, from subway and transport networks hardwired with high-tech ‘command and control’ systems to the insidious militarization of a popular culture corrupted by the all-pervasive discourse of ‘terrorism” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6499353-cities-under-siege https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6499353-cities-under-sie...

cmckn 4y ago

Police departments literally own tanks. https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/towns-dont-need-tanks-they-have-them https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/towns-dont-need-... Plus things like grenade launchers are provided to police departments by the Department of Defense, at steep discounts or for free, through the 1033 Program: https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Law-Enforcement/Join-The-Program/ https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Law-Enforcem...

Alupis 4y ago
To be pedantic, that is not a tank. That is an armored personnel carrier. The article is also wrong about the military restraining from using .50 caliber machine guns on infantry... but it's very clear the person that wrote the article really doesn't know much about these things anyway. I agree the uses for a .50 caliber machine gun for policing is very, very few if any. However, .50 caliber firearms are indeed used quite often, just not automatic ones.

eloisius 4y ago

I think this phrase showed up around the time police departments started getting military hand-me-downs like MRAPs.

germinalphrase 4y ago

A great deal of the following text focuses on this exact issue. Dig in. Cities Under Siege: The New Military Urbanism by Stephen Graham “ Drawing on a wealth of original research, Stephen Graham shows how Western militaries and security forces now perceive all urban terrain as a conflict zone inhabited by lurking shadow enemies. Urban inhabitants have become targets that need to be continually tracked, scanned and controlled. Graham examines the transformation of Western armies into high-tech urban counter-insurgency forces. He looks at the militarization and surveillance of international borders, the use of ‘security’ concerns to suppress democratic dissent, and the enacting of legislation to suspend civilian law. In doing so, he reveals how the New Military Urbanism permeates the entire fabric of urban life, from subway and transport networks hardwired with high-tech ‘command and control’ systems to the insidious militarization of a popular culture corrupted by the all-pervasive discourse of ‘terrorism” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6499353-cities-under-siege https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6499353-cities-under-sie...