Dear Leader Wants You...

[gun sane]

For his domestic army.....unless, of course, you're the kind of patriot he fears. Here's a very revealing video of a retired Marine colonel who explains why the cities are amassing armored vehicles and other military equipment.

 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/15/is-everybody-blind-city-council-meeting-erupts-in-applause-after-ex-marine-issues-dire-warning-about-u-s-building-a-domestic-army/

[Moped]

The militarization of police forces across the country, has been going on for longer than Obama has been President. I think it started for real with the Clinton Administration and their push for community policing.  The objective of this policy was to provide local, state and federal LE agencies, with more officers, better training, better equipment and better intelligence, in order to fight crime.  After 9/11, the Bush Administration ramped this up even more.  Obama has merely continued the buildup.

 

Some interesting reading form the Justice Department in 1999. http://www.justice.gov/archive/dag/pubdoc/crimestrategy.pdf

[Guest ThePunisher]

The founding fathers warned us to be vigilant against government tyranny. No reason to militarize local PD's other than to put fear into the people. When people fear government, then you have tyranny. When government fear the people, then you have liberty and freedom.

[Wyldk2]

Seeing more and more of the "police state". It is only a matter of time.   If there is nobody to rebel, there is no rebellion. Too big a government and there will be no turning back. The Empire is rising.

[Dolomite_supafly]

The militarization of police forces across the country, has been going on for longer than Obama has been President. I think it started for real with the Clinton Administration and their push for community policing.  The objective of this policy was to provide local, state and federal LE agencies, with more officers, better training, better equipment and better intelligence, in order to fight crime.  After 9/11, the Bush Administration ramped this up even more.  Obama has merely continued the buildup.

 

Some interesting reading form the Justice Department in 1999. http://www.justice.gov/archive/dag/pubdoc/crimestrategy.pdf

 

Actually it has been going on longer than that even. There was a big push after the Vietnam War to hire veterans, just like now with the wars in the Middle East. So back in the 70's, and on, the military were being hired by police departments.

 

The LE community has gone from a point of being there to help like most officers were doing 30+ years ago to a "us" vs "them" mentality we often see today.

The reason this has happened is because there was a shift about 20-30 years ago, maybe longer, to hire prior military over those who had no military experience. Along with those military personnel came the military mindset that many had. And then with the influx of military personnel came the influx of military tactics, ways of training as well as the "us" vs "them" mentality. This is the reason there has been a militarization of most police departments as well. That and a lot of the same equipment used by officers while in the military are now being provided to LE as part a program that supplies LE with surplus military hardware. So in essence LE is now just a civillian extension of the military in both mindset as well as equipment.

And now those same soldiers who joined the LE community are now in senior positions. It is those same senior officers that are now making changes to training and department policies. And that training and regulations are going to mirror what they knew in the military.

Also, the "us" vs "them" mentality is how the military always trains. That is there is always an enemy in the military and then when the soldiers transition to civilian jobs, especially LE, they keep the same "us" vs "them" mentality except those that are not in law enforcement are now the new "enemy". This is why they no longer want to help, it is because those that are not LE are now their new "enemy".

 

I am not saying all officers see us as the enemy but the majority veiw civillians in a totally different light.

 

Dolomite
 

[jtmaze]

Actually it has been going on longer than that even. There was a big push after the Vietnam War to hire veterans, just like now with the wars in the Middle East. So back in the 70's, and on, the military were being hired by police departments.

 

The LE community has gone from a point of being there to help like most officers were doing 30+ years ago to a "us" vs "them" mentality we often see today.

The reason this has happened is because there was a shift about 20-30 years ago, maybe longer, to hire prior military over those who had no military experience. Along with those military personnel came the military mindset that many had. And then with the influx of military personnel came the influx of military tactics, ways of training as well as the "us" vs "them" mentality. This is the reason there has been a militarization of most police departments as well. That and a lot of the same equipment used by officers while in the military are now being provided to LE as part a program that supplies LE with surplus military hardware. So in essence LE is now just a civillian extension of the military in both mindset as well as equipment.

And now those same soldiers who joined the LE community are now in senior positions. It is those same senior officers that are now making changes to training and department policies. And that training and regulations are going to mirror what they knew in the military.

Also, the "us" vs "them" mentality is how the military always trains. That is there is always an enemy in the military and then when the soldiers transition to civilian jobs, especially LE, they keep the same "us" vs "them" mentality except those that are not in law enforcement are now the new "enemy". This is why they no longer want to help, it is because those that are not LE are now their new "enemy".

 

I am not saying all officers see us as the enemy but the majority veiw civillians in a totally different light.

 

Dolomite
 

Very well said. 1 in 10 of the police officers I have had encounters with in the last 15 years have been helpful and supporting in the situation at hand. On the other hand, there is a black State Trooper that works the Gibson Co area in West TN That I have had several encounters with that I personally think is the perfect example of what law enforcement should be. Every encounter I have had with him, From getting a Ticket to my daughter totalling a car he has been the nicest most respectful gentleman you could ask to deal with. This is why you just have to judge(for lack of a better man) the man, not the uniform.

Edited August 17, 2013 by jtmaze

[TMF]

Ha, they listed the Free State Movement as a domestic terrorist organization in their bid to justify the purchase of the armored vehicle.

[gjohnsoniv]

There have been police departments buying or receiving a ton of equipment recently.  There was an article recently about it, I'll have to find it.  One department of 10 ended up with 400 bayonets and a CBRN cleaning station that doesn't even work.

[TMF]

There have been police departments buying or receiving a ton of equipment recently. There was an article recently about it, I'll have to find it. One department of 10 ended up with 400 bayonets and a CBRN cleaning station that doesn't even work.

That was less about militarization and more about defrauding the fed for the sake of just getting stuff. I read the same article. Everything that Chief got from the gov was innocuous. I think it was just because he wanted to show all the cool stuff he had.

[gjohnsoniv]

That was less about militarization and more about defrauding the fed for the sake of just getting stuff. I read the same article. Everything that Chief got from the gov was innocuous. I think it was just because he wanted to show all the cool stuff he had.

That's about what I got out of the article.  I really want to go talk to those departments and see if they would sell a HMMV to me, I could really use one of those. Or some of that scuba gear.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

If this stuff doesn't stop, they might face what they fear, also. Actions usually end with reactions. The more the militarization,

the more the threat could be recognized.

 

“All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Damn! I will never get used to his last name.

[TMF]

This is the ultimate self licking ice cream cone. Here you have a local government who is justifying their militarization by labeling groups against militarization of police as terrorists.

It reminds me of some places I've been..... hmmm, seems I've had this conversation more than once with folks who told me hearts and minds are just targets.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It is ultimately because they fear. Usually a government's biggest motivator. It's how they retain power. Bastardization

of legitimate government happens over time.

 

I've been watching a bit of British Tele on Netflix, lately. It reminds me how much we are still citizens and not subjects,

but the delineation continually blurs.

 

Self licking ice cream cone. Where the Hell do you come up with those? :D

[TMF]

Self licking ice cream cone. Where the Hell do you come up with those? :D

A common term used for support personnel who add nothing to the fight yet take up enormous amounts of space and energy supporting themselves while the guys in the field are using duct tape to keep their boots together.

The other term more commonly used was not appropriate; a phallus that fellates itself... only a slightly more graphic representation.

[Glenn]

I know at one time the Knox co. sheriff had 6 helicopters. More than some small countries.

[Moped]

I think at least two of those choppers, were for parts to keep the other 4 running.