Occupy Blue Wall Street (the blue social model is collapsing)

The American Interest ^ | November 8, 2011 | Walter Russell Mead

[St. Louis Conservative]

New Yorkers are getting an uncomfortable look at the ugly realities behind what we like to think of as the country’s bluest, most European and most enlightened city. A series of trials now underway in the Bronx reveal the harsh truth of embedded corruption and contempt for the public at the heart (if that is the right word) of the New York City police union.

A palpably shocked New York Times covered the story last week as union-organized cops hurled their venom and hate at the law they are sworn to uphold:

As 16 police officers were arraigned at State Supreme Court in the Bronx, incensed colleagues organized by their union cursed and taunted prosecutors and investigators, chanting “Down with the D.A.” and “Ray Kelly, hypocrite.”

Many of the approximately 1,600 allegations against the Bronx 16 are low level ticket-fixing charges. In the Bronx (as in many other American jurisdictions) it has been a police perk for many years that officers can quietly fix tickets for family, friends and, one supposes, the occasional generous stranger. Those perks seem to reflect an informal, parallel power structure in the police force which gives long serving cops and union connected officers what those involved no doubt see as just and fair recompense for services rendered and dues paid.

Unfortunately a number of the allegations are more serious, as the piece by N. R. Kleinfield and John Eligon goes on to point out:

Jose R. Ramos, an officer in the 40th Precinct whose suspicious behavior spawned the protracted investigation, was accused of two dozen crimes, including attempted robbery, attempted grand larceny, transporting what he thought was heroin for drug dealers and revealing the identity of a confidential informant.

[the_daug]

Criminal (Police) Union?

[miss marmelstein]

Oh, please. Police corruption in NYC is something NEW? Stick to St. Louis politics!

I come from a long, sorry line of corrupt Irish cops going back to the late 19th century. I came of age during the Knapp Commission and the Serpico story.

Is it because of one party stranglehold on the city? Of course! But it ain’t nothin’ new. Check out “Gangs of New York” - the book or the movie.

[cuban leaf]

They are so corrupt that they don’t even recognise it when it stares them in the face.

[cuban leaf]

—Oh, please. Police corruption in NYC is something NEW?—

I understand your comments, but it is nice to know that that is not stopping someone from trying to end it. Now, if we could get them to take that attitude with voter fraud...

[Steely Tom]

There have always been secret societies that gain great power by teamwork, infiltration, and secrecy.

The Masons are one such.

In our time, it is public-sector unions. The alliance between union power and government power is going to grow and grow. Eventually, it will end in bloodshed.

I’m betting that they’ll take out a reporter, sooner or later. And that reporter may not be one who is working for the MSM.

[dagogo redux]

Law breaking is the central interest linking both sides of the apparent cops vs. robbers divide.

Sociopathic tendencies seem rampant in all the law-related professions - attorneys, politicians and law enforcement - while covering these tendencies with the deception, to self and others, that they are on the other side of the divide from the criminals.

Street thugs, political thugs, union thugs, “public servant” thugs - they’re all just different types of thugs.

[NeverForgetBataan]

Hehe... Those New YAWK cops are gonna be real unhappy when the SHTF day comes and they are going to be “sharing” power with the armed citizen’s militia.

And it won’t be by choice.

Google “Snake Plisskin” and “Escape from New York”.

[Da Coyote]

That was a superb article.

Pretenders who think they are journalists should take courses from this writer.

This means you, NYT, Boston Globe, LAT, etc......

[PGalt]

Very interesting post/thread. Thanks.