“there are those lionized by the right that have laid the groundwork for just such things...”
the guardian angels have no powers of arrest except those allowed to any citizen. they have no objective except to help prevent crime. they are not an arm of the government. most important of all, one can tell them to go to he&& with impunity; one would not be able to tell an official, internal “government security force” to go to he&& without being subject to arrest.
above all, there is no blurring between “fighting crime” and fighting “crime against the state”.
big difference between curtis sliwa and his guardian angels and some official “internal security force” charged with state power to “make the people secure”.
Take a breath and re-read my post. I didn't say they were any of those things...I simply stated they laid the groundwork for it.
I have mixed feelings about the Guardian Angels. Their intent is certainly noble and affords citizens a highly visible channel for positively influencing their community. While they are not government security forces, they certainly work in close conjunction with LE (just like any neighborhood watch for that matter).
On the downside, Sliwa's choice of a beret and distinctive uniform, IMHO, fosters an attitude, or at least an impression, of elitism. While they operate in no official capacity, and Sliwa has never claimed that they do, their uniforms suggest an imprimatur of officialdom. In fairness to Sliwa, the good they have done has far outweighed any of the negatives.
Having said that, I'd be willing to bet if Obama got his "citizen security force" a large percentage of those currently in the GA's would be at the front of the line to sign up.
What Obama has called for is a "civilian/citizen national security force." I've never heard an actual definition for what this is supposed to be exactly; perhaps a national police force like virtually every other nation on earth has, a federally funded neighborhood watch, or just a different name to legitimize the new black panthers...who knows...I'd guess it would be kind of like what Wilson did with American Legion members in WWI, giving them a sort of quasi-deputization to root out political opposition in the name of national security.
I'm not saying Sliwa himself would sanction or condone any such organization, merely that he has created a stepping stone that would make implementation of any such organization a bit more palatable to the average American, and has made it much easier to sell membership in such an organization as a matter of "volunteerism" or "community service."