Recall Taibbi: "The Police in America Are Becoming Illegitimate"

[phantom power]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-police-in-america-are-becoming-illegitimate-20141205

This is what starts to happen when you abuse your authority enough, and make yourself illegitimate.

Or, as Ta-Nehisi Coates said: "Wisdom isn't the point tonight. Disrespect is. In this case, disrespect for the hollow law and failed order that so regularly disrespects the rioters themselves."

[el_bryanto]

1. That's accurate

When I first heard of the song "Fuck the Police" by NWA i was appalled that anybody should be so disrespectful of people who are out their risking their lives for us - this was quite a while back. I was naive of course - but the past few years should be a display to anybody who doesn't realize it that the Police have no respect for people of color or communities of color. Anybody who doesn't realize that our law enforcement system is biased and broken is working really hard not to realize that.

Bryant

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. 'Sunlight is a powerful disinfectant'.

A lot of us pasty-skinned folks who didn't live each day with fear of the police were that naive. Perhaps the most good thing to come out to strip away that naivete (spelling? That doesn't look right, even though spell-check says it is.) is the advent of phone videos and social media. For the first time, there's a countervailing force to offset the institutionally racist propaganda fed to us our whole childhood to give us some notion of exactly what people of colour live with (and die with) day in and day out when interacting with police.

[IDemo]

3. Anyone who has not read "The Divide" by Taibbi should do so

He speaks of the wild disparity between treatment of the Lloyd Blankfeins and other Wall Streeters over their massive theft, and people routed into court and extorted for "crimes" such as "blocking the sidewalk" - where no other person was in sight; or drinking wine on one's own front porch.

[EL34x4]

6. Thanks.

I got as far as the introduction before downloading it to my Kindle.

While I've enjoyed his RS columns, I've never read one of his books before. Looking forward to spending time with this one.

[daleanime]

4. K&R.....

[onecaliberal]

5. K&R

Best thing I've read to date on the police state and oppression.