- Kevin Maclean The US is finally getting the kind of policing they've enabled in so many other countries.
- Alan Petrillo Pretty much. Starting with Indonesia under Suharto, at least. At least that was the start of the involvement of the Chicago Boys.
- Kevin Maclean Alan Petrillo Any credible reporting on whether they're Eric Prince's thugs or not?
- Alan Petrillo Kevin Maclean : Right now, there is a link, because FPS does hire from some of his more savory fronts, but those links are tenuous and not well proven.
- Adam Athan George Orwell?
- Alan Petrillo Adam Athan : Indeed. Machiavelli as well.
- Alan Petrillo As a sidebar, Steven Pinker, in his book /The Better Angels Of Our Nature/ pointed out that nonviolent protests are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent protests.
Secret Police Do Not Belong In America
First, let me state clearly that the riots going on in Portland and in other cities are not acceptable. Period. I understand people are fed up with police brutality, and so am I, but this is not the way to go about changing it. Rioting is counterproductive. It may make people feel better about themselves because they’re “sticking it to The Man”, but in reality the only people they’re sticking anything to are themselves.
At the same time, the federal response to the rioting is even more unacceptable. They aren’t acting like police, they are acting like an occupying force. In short, they are acting like Secret Police, and that is not acceptable in The United States Of America.
My problem isn't with federal agents protecting federal property. My problem is with their lack of accountability.
What agencies is FPS pulling agents from? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Are these agents sworn peace officers or mercenaries? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are their rules of engagement? We don't know, because they aren't saying.
What is their justification for leaving federal property and going into the surrounding areas? We don't know because they aren't saying.
How many people have they detained? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are their criteria for detaining someone? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What questions are they asking people who they detain? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are they using for probable cause? We don't know because they aren't saying.
How many actual arrests have they made? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What charges have been filed against people who they have arrested? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Where have they taken people who they have arrested? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Where are the court hearings for bail? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Who has jurisdiction for prosecutions and legal proceedings? We don't know because they aren't saying.
The whole operation is completely opaque, and that is not the way this is supposed to be done in the United States. Federal agents behaving like an unrestrained and unaccountable secret police is what I object to. If they have a problem with the news media controlling the narrative then maybe they should open up and be transparent about what they are doing.
Hypocrisy is what I object to. All my life the right wing has been telling me that sooner or later the federal government is going to send in unrestrained and unaccountable secret police to take away people's rights. So now, when that prophecy is coming true, when the federal government is, in fact, sending in unrestrained and unaccountable secret police to take away people's rights those same righties are cheering. THAT is what I object to!
When rioters are destroying the place then identify them, arrest them, try them, convict them, and punish them, but do it in the light of day, in a manner that befits The United States Of America, not China under the CCP, Russia under Stalin, or about a dozen other totalitarian regimes I can name off the top of my head.
What agencies is FPS pulling agents from? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Are these agents sworn peace officers or mercenaries? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are their rules of engagement? We don't know, because they aren't saying.
What is their justification for leaving federal property and going into the surrounding areas? We don't know because they aren't saying.
How many people have they detained? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are their criteria for detaining someone? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What questions are they asking people who they detain? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What are they using for probable cause? We don't know because they aren't saying.
How many actual arrests have they made? We don't know because they aren't saying.
What charges have been filed against people who they have arrested? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Where have they taken people who they have arrested? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Where are the court hearings for bail? We don't know because they aren't saying.
Who has jurisdiction for prosecutions and legal proceedings? We don't know because they aren't saying.
The whole operation is completely opaque, and that is not the way this is supposed to be done in the United States. Federal agents behaving like an unrestrained and unaccountable secret police is what I object to. If they have a problem with the news media controlling the narrative then maybe they should open up and be transparent about what they are doing.
Hypocrisy is what I object to. All my life the right wing has been telling me that sooner or later the federal government is going to send in unrestrained and unaccountable secret police to take away people's rights. So now, when that prophecy is coming true, when the federal government is, in fact, sending in unrestrained and unaccountable secret police to take away people's rights those same righties are cheering. THAT is what I object to!
When rioters are destroying the place then identify them, arrest them, try them, convict them, and punish them, but do it in the light of day, in a manner that befits The United States Of America, not China under the CCP, Russia under Stalin, or about a dozen other totalitarian regimes I can name off the top of my head.
Don’t get me wrong here. Peace officers keeping the peace is a good thing. But it should be done in the light of day, in a transparent manner that befits The United States Of America. Every civilized society needs police, but it is a violation of the principles of the United States of America to have Secret Police.
Have I made my position sufficiently clear?
Have I made my position sufficiently clear?
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