The rise of various kings is a lesson in raw brutality,even though many celebrated such rulers.Kings got to be THE king by killing ,or having killed,anyone who dared oppose their rule;often even wiping out entire families so that no child would grow to adulthood to rally opposition.Now perhaps once established these kings allowed and promoted schools and churches and trades,but be sure it was mostly for their own ultimate benefit.
I state here my firm conviction that 99% of kings and their families were founded on ,and guilty of mass murder.
THIS is why the American Experiment in a government of laws with the leaders or rulers bound by the "chains of the Constitution" is,and was,the most radical government ever.For the first time a system was devised that openly declared the equality of all,that none might presume to rule by Divine Right or sheer force.Few Americans seem to know or care about any of this.
The police exist to enforce the will of the "king",whoever he may be.
My career behind a badge was cut short by insisting that I would enforce the rules impartially,and the identiity of the person breaking the rules should have no effect.The mayor running a red light is just as big a danger to others as the punk kid doing the same;and a drunken fellow officer throwing the couch through his apartment's picture window is no better (or worse) than anyone else.Nor was the possession of a badge from another department a free pass to park your patrol car in my jurisdiction and engage in illegal,immoral sex while on "duty".
I’m very critical of modern policing, but I have to say from experience that if you watch your mouth, shut up, obey, take your arrest like a professional/man, that the officer just wants to get you to the booking as quick and as easy as possible.
I think 99% of police are honest, reasonably dutiful. A lot of the ...er...labor problems with officers and departments are endemic to all employers and reflect the greater society. There is no pool of saints to recruit from.
I think that police as an institution, like most, are being corrupted, transformed to organs of state power. Slowly, organically. Planned.