‘SWAT Raids, Stun Guns, And Pepper Spray: Why The Government Is Ramping Up The Use Of Force
…The amount of force the government uses to uphold a given law is no longer determined only by the threat to public safety posed by the suspect. Now, it appears to give an indication of how serious the government is about the law being enforced. The DEA sends SWAT teams barreling into the offices of doctors accused of over-prescribing painkillers not because the doctors pose any real threat of violence, but because prescription drug abuse is a hot issue right now. The feds sent SWAT teams into marijuana dispensaries not because medicinal pot merchants are inherently dangerous people, but because officials believe the dispensaries are openly defying federal law. It is, to put it bluntly, a terror tactic.
Sending a couple cops with a clipboard to hand out fines and shut down a dispensary doesn’t convey a strong message. Sending a bunch of cops dressed like soldiers to point guns at dispensary owners and their customers certainly does.
….Whether be it the dramatic rise in the number of SWAT raids and SWAT teams, the ubiquitous use of stun guns, harsh crackdowns on peaceful protesters, or just the increasingly militaristic mindset of law enforcement on the whole, government violence against its own citizens is much more troubling than the violence of a small number of citizens–because government actions carry an air of legitimacy..’ source
If the government is not your friend, then it’s becoming very obvious indeed that neither are the police, who have become the enforcement arm of politicians.
Perhaps the old ideal of them being there to serve the community was never entirely realistic, but the trend towards jackbooted thugs enforcing government diktats has gained momentum in the last few years.
And by the time public outrage (which is largely absent right now) rises to the level this problem deserves it will be too late to turn it around anyway.
(thanks to Southern for the link)
I just got through reading Wingrove’s post and am wondering if it doesn’t answer a question we’ve often asked here on CR. That question is:
Come the day, will the armed forces fire on their own citizens?
It seems the answer is that we’ve been asking the wrong question. Our political masters have been busy building and equipping their own Stasi in preparation for the task.
Yes indeed. The right question may be–will our armed forces side with the people against the government’s paramilitary goons?
Look what they do with the Remains of brave soldiers.
Remains of 274 Troops Dumped in Landfill
The Washington Post says the incinerated partial remains of at least 274 American troops were sent to the King George County Landfill in Virginia. The report was based on database information at the Dover Air Base mortuary, where the remains of most war dead return.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/report-remains-of-274-troops-dumped-in-landfill-120811
I read that. Effing disgusting.
And my guess is no.
Beat me to it KG – was going to ask the same question.
And answer the same way.
Any thoughts on why, Moneo?
Well, because the people who make up our armed forces are by and large the same as anyone else in this day and age. And most people have little understanding of history, or really care about the limits of Government power.
So when they recieve an order, they will obey it, even if they think it is wrong.
Now imagine that most of the people in the army and navy are like that – will obey an order regardless of its content – if you were one of the few that disagreed, would you risk your own life to protest against it? I’m going to guess most won’t, at best they might attempt to desert. There will be a section of the army that wholeheartedly agrees with crushing dissenters, however, and being part of them will become the quick route to promotion.
Moneo is quite correct; we have a very recent example that illustrates his point. We have to go back no further than April 2010 when Thai “troops” opened fire on Thai citizens (demonstrators?) in the Thai capital, Bangkok. What was worse was that it was a “minority government”, who had usurped power from the democratically elected majority, that was ordering troops to fire on their “families”. And the troops did!
Will regular troops fire on citizens?
Of course they will. You can bet the farm on it.
since Teddy R. (pres 1901-1909) we in the US have busy working while back room deals were being made —
wait-since the turn of the last century when John Dewy and his friends met- wrote -a plan to take over the ed system of the US -and followed through on that plan—
thus-
no university student could pass the 8th grade test of 1895 –
and we have been blind -sided by our -supposed- ‘representatives of the people’ in our govt–over many years!!!
Now we are awake —at least some of us in the Us are!!
Carol-CS