The Political Thread

[Professor Bear]

I saw one dude on Twitter opine that he was not only legitimately happy that missionary died, but he wished it had been more painful because the main thing we learn from remote tribes is what diseases we carry that they never developed an immunity to.  We're still waiting to see if that bible-thumper infected the Sentinelese with anything that might legitimately cause their genocide - their numbers being catastrophically low since the 2004 Tsunami.

I saw THIS vid about why we don't need cops and thought of Sharky.

[I, Cosh]

I saw THIS vid about why we don't need cops and thought of Sharky.

That's not what the B in ACAB stands for.

[JayzusB.Christ]

As someone who skirts on the fringes of Anarchism (Noam Chomsky's lefty version, not Sharky's Randian version), I honestly don't know what should replace the police.

But in my country at least, we really need something better than what we've got.  I've written here before about both personal experiences (the coppers knocking down and killing a 19-year-old near my apartment then spreading drugs-related lies about him; me locating a conman's address in minutes while waiting 2 years for the old bill to do the same) and public ones (most recently, spreading false rumours that a whistleblower had abused his own children, and not being prosecuted for doing so).

I haven't got an answer as to how to change things, but I think of all the times they did precisely fuck all when I and people I know needed the Gardai and conclude we deserve better.

[Professor Bear]

Hey, you lefties are the ones who said you didn't want hear any more stories about a lack of accountability in the Garda, and they do their best to make that happen and you're still gurning.

Weird how the police have become problematic, though.  Historically, creating a privileged class licensed to arbitrarily utilise violence as a means of social control has usually worked out just fine.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Weird how the police have become problematic, though.  Historically, creating a privileged class licensed to arbitrarily utilise violence as a means of social control has usually worked out just fine.

And that was the warm-up act... Now let's welcome the Shark!

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

The trouble with Anarchy is that no one ultimately is in control and therefore the most organised force, usually, some military caste seizes power cloaked in 'the name of the people.' Government for all its many faults, corruption, nepotism is so far the best organisational force society has built as it provides basic services, security, state benefits in reward for the individual's compliance with its laws. In the same way, we see no purely Libertarian societies in history ones that allowed the elderly to starve to death say we see very few Anarchist regional states for the same reason. They don't seem to have enough support to make themselves attractive enough to the vast swathes of the populace.

[TordelBack]

I don't think the Guards are the absolute worst as police forces go, but I suspect that's just down to institutionalised laziness on their part. They have perfected the shoulder-shrugging privilege-protecting soft-target-focused close-ranks thing that their international brethren do so well, but with way less guns and slightly less energetic racism. What I'm saying is that I seldom fear them or dread our rare interactions*.

The whole McCabe thing though... jeezus. That's making a play for the grown-ups' table!


*I do have one story about being the sorely-abused mistaken subject of an anti-terrorism raid, but it was 25 years ago.

[JayzusB.Christ]

What I'm saying is that I seldom fear them or dread our rare interactions*.

You really shouldn't have to.  They're supposed to protect and serve you (I know that's a yank slogan, but that is, technically, the supposed job of every police force).  As far as I can see, their main priority is to protect and serve themselves.  It's a pity that the best you can say about them is that they're not as bad as other forces.

And I dread to think of how many other Maurice McCabes there have been, who haven't been so fortunate as to be publicly vindicated.

[The Legendary Shark]

The problem with the police, as I see it, is that they are funded by government, which requires them to enforce legislation (artificial law, created by politicians) rather than uphold the Common Law. He who pays the piper calls the tune.

When Robert Peel created the modern police, he understood that we all have a responsibility to uphold and work within the Law and that a police constable is just an ordinary person who happens to get paid by society to undertake duties the rest of us have no time to undertake ourselves. Police have, or rather should have, no greater or lesser powers, rights or responsibilities than the rest of us.

What has gone wrong is that governments, themselves claiming superhuman rights, responsibilities and powers, have given some of their illusory powers to the police. This has changed their fundamental nature from upholders of Law to enforcers of policy. The modern police constables may as well be renamed policy officers.

As with the problem of government, the main solution is to strip them of their illusory powers, reinforce their actual powers and reinstate their actual responsibilities.

[paddykafka]

I don't think the Guards are the absolute worst as police forces go, but I suspect that's just down to institutionalised laziness on their part. They have perfected the shoulder-shrugging privilege-protecting soft-target-focused close-ranks thing that their international brethren do so well, but with way less guns and slightly less energetic racism. What I'm saying is that I seldom fear them or dread our rare interactions*.

Especially if they demonstrate the kind of empathy shown in the clip below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VODUI787noc

[paddykafka]

Ooops!

Misclicked on Emoji options. Should have been this one instead:   

[JayzusB.Christ]

That bloody McSavage. When I was an amateur stand up still trying to overcome the terror of facing audiences, I supported him one night and found myself floundering. The bastard shouted from the crowd 'Why don't you tell a few jokes?' then walked out.  I confronted him about it later, and he started on about doing it 'to help get laughs" for me. A friend of mine called him on his bullshit and he had a hissy fit and flounced off.

I hate that I still think he's a great comedian and find him occasionally hilarious.

[paddykafka]

As another of McSavage's alter ego's might say: "Ah, Jayzus"! 

[JayzusB.Christ]

I've heard two other successful Irish comedians describe him off the record as a... well, the word I got my week-long ban for last year.  That said, and it kills me to say it, his show is great and he deserves to do well.

[The Legendary Shark]

I forgot you did stand up. I'm so jealous!