Posted on 05/30/2011 6:17:26 PM PDT by Travis McGee
Anyone who has ever worked with cops understands not only their tribal nature, but where they actually fall in the hierarchy of government power.
It isn’t where you think.
Government power, contrary to popular and media belief, lies not with the badges, but with the elected and appointed suits to whom law enforcement officers report and from whom their agencies receive budgetary allocations.
Even in those relatively rare situations (e.g., county sheriffs) where there is direct election of the chief law enforcement officer in a jurisdiction, that agency still receives its funding via other organs of state power (e.g., the state legislature, the county legislature, Federal law enforcement and highway safety grants, etc.).
So as you review recent events and feel justifiable outrage at the conduct of uniformed officers, never forget the following:
Police officers always act in precisely and exactly the manner that they are permitted to act by the suits, be they in the management of their agency, its chain of command leading to the highest elected executive branch official in that jurisdiction, in the legislative branches that fund that agency, or any combination thereof.
I say again:
Police officers always act in precisely and exactly the manner that they are permitted to act by the suits, be they in the management of their agency, its chain of command leading to the highest elected executive branch official in that jurisdiction, in the legislative branches that fund that agency, or any combination thereof.
To use an example, how long do you think Officer Gilhooley will stay in his current traffic patrol assignment after he writes a sheaf of tickets against the local mayor’s wife, especially after she identifies herself as such?
If you guessed “not very effing long”, you advance to the next round.
So as you root through David’s “Only Ones” files or Balko’s paramilitary police raids, just remember that in every case, the badges are doing exactly what the legislative and executive suits permit and fund.
Once more, for emphasis:
The badges are doing exactly what the legislative and executive suits permit and fund.
The beatdowns, tazings, and grotesque murders happen because the suits want them to happen.
Understand that.
And the suits know that even if someone in the unwashed classes decides to push back, they’ll be stupid enough to push back against the guys with the guns, the body armor, and the nightsticks – in other words, the team that is actually trained and equipped to dispense deadly force.
Won’t they?
No rising tyranny has ever tried to suppress a nation where ten of millions of citizens own scoped deer rifles. It could get sporty.
Whitepages dot com will find the home address of 99.9% of all of us, the meek and the mighty. Google street view and earth will even give photos. The lack of privacy works in all directions.
Didn’t work out well for Senator Randolph.
Especially in the midst of the “great recession” when other job opportunities are unavailable.
Even the train engineer on the Munchen-Auschwitz rationalized keeping his job. Gotta have that paycheck.
Interesting times.
Buddy, it's all changed. I had a neat conversation about three years ago with a group of rural police officers on a lonely road in the backwoods of Georgia who noticed my bumper stickers on the minivan I was driving then at one of those DUI checkpoints near the holidays. After it became obvious that I wasn't a drinker and my wife and I were cruising the backwoods roads in a leisurely fashion we got to discussing my pro 2nd Amendment stickers. I asked him if he was willing to confiscate the guns of his neighbors when the orders were issued and he replied in a strong negative. THEN I asked him how close he was to retirement and he said "purty close." So I restated the question and added that if he refused he'd likely lose his pension and maybe get carted off to jail himself and what would his family do then? He didn't answer but his face said it all. The rest of the road team at that checkpoint was listening very closely, too. I didn't get nary a ticket AND they told me how to avoid the next checkpoint too. So I guess I left them with stuff on which to ponder.
Now consider this: The majority of our police and military service members are products of the public schools and they have had anti-gun TRIPE poured into their ears from nursery school through graduate school if they get that far but certainly through primary and secondary in lockstep. It doesn't matter -- city or rural -- the school curriculums are shepherded through the various legislatures by liberals and their masters in the globalist (UN) orgs. Do you know that the International Baccalaureate programs so prevalent in the public schools now was created and funded by the UN? IB=UN If you don't think these guys are taking the best and brightest minds our country has to offer and molding them in a certain specific direction, you'd be wrong. Is that direction in favor of our Constitutional ideals as transmitted by our Founding Fathers? You decide. But I've been teaching in the public schools in the 4th largest district in the nation for over 21 years and I have taught at the AP level. I have taught in an IB school and seen both the teachers and the curriculum and both are pretty frightening when viewed from the standpoint of an enduring Constitutional Republic in the near term. These programs are nationwide and certain funds are available to bring these programs to the rural areas.
AMEN.
This is why ex-cops, and most ex-military, make lousy spies. They simply cannot think on their feet.
International Baccalaureate is social engineering at its finest. It has the UN’s Gold Seal of Approval.
Here’s something related. What effect will our debt regime in every level of government eventually have on civil rights policies? Would government increasingly short on revenues become less intrusive and overbearing? Could government remain “big” while operating from increasingly inflated revenues, and eventually, default? ...with fewer employees and few, small sources of sustainable revenues (e.g., manufacturing)?
Run the word, economy, as a keyword on FR to see some of the articles about likely default.
How about avoiding buying anything that you don’t need, becoming more self-sufficient each month and a hobby of learning to manufacture a necessity? ...”going Galt,” so to speak?
Americans Buy a Close to 1 Million Guns in February 2011 - Could this be another record year for gun purchases? February NSSF-Adjusted NICS Background Checks Up 13.6%
*******************************************
As an indicator of rising tension and preparedness, that is fine. How many of these might be purchased by purple shirted turds with ‘stimulus money’ though? It is unlikely the preparations are only on one side.
I just realized that the people mentioned in the Forbes interview are not preparing to defend generally against “zombies” like ourselves (low income) and that I’ve been an idiot for posting that. It took me way too long to figure it out. I made a mistake and hope that those folks will forgive me.
Same with writing generalizations against those making their incomes from imports. That was a big mistake on my part. They are not a monolithic source of regulations against even small business or property rights.
But I still believe that the consequence of default (consequence of radical regulations, excessive taxation, our lack of willingness to generate revenues by buying much, etc.) is our best hope and that political involvement may be more helpful then—not now.
“To protect and to serve...the suits and congress-critters that pay themthe big bucks.”
I wonder if there is a thought process out there to see what precentage would break ranks and get on the “right” side of the upcoming unpleasantness???
1, 2, 5, 10%??? I figure most urban forces would toat the line...Some rural authorities might cast themselves as “leaders” and treat the rest of us as boy scouts or something...Yeah, that’ll work /sarc...
I think a small minority will break ranks and meld into the menusha of the population and be some of the most effective folks out there, if the caca hit the proverbial electircaly driven air moving device...
Just my opinion...
But I dunno nothin’...;-)
Thanks for the food for thought ping.
When it happens, the jackboot lickers will be in for a surprise!
Sheriff Gil Gilbertson should teach other Sheriffs how to do it. I love that guy. There was a push in the next door county to publicize the names of those with concealed carry permits (there’s a liberal enclave there). He not only refused, he wrote a public letter about it.
He’s his most recent dustup with the feds (Forest Service):
http://www.usobserver.com/archive/may-11/gil-letter.html
Link the Gilbertson’s letter to the FS guy, he uses some choice language. Haven’t heard of any outcome yet, but then I might not hear if I don’t try to find it:
http://www.usobserver.com/archive/may-11/images/Gilbertson-letter-to-Roy-Bergstrom.pdf
BTTT
Sadly, they cannot push back until they are an organized, cohesive force. They are not that yet, and thus they are not a player. Call me when the Good Old Boys are willing to put down the beer and pick up a copy of the Constitution.
It is my observation that most people are apathetic to the greater issues around them.
Or at least those issues are of no concern to the suits and the uniformed LEO's are meeting whatever criteria the suits do have.
That one letter has more professional in it than anything I have seen from our Sheriff.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.