It's been well over a week since the tragic but entirely routine execution of a young black man by a white policeman in a St. Louis suburb.
Thus far the execution and its aftermath has resulted in a total of one death, that of Michael Brown. Fatal shootings of black males by white cops historically occur at the rate of at least two per week.
So what could possibly account for the saturation coverage that has been bestowed on this entirely routine event?
When CNN and Fox and all the rest of them are devoting virtually 24/7 coverage to Ferguson Mo., they're obviously not covering some other stories.
Like the conduct of our Israeli vassals in Gaza.
Or the conduct of our Ukrainian vassals in east Ukraine.
Or the exponential escalation of America's wars in Syria and Iraq and Libya.
Do you suppose it is coincidence that news managers across the USA have simultaneously disavowed the far more important stories unfolding in the world, to focus 99% of their resources on the execution of one unremarkable black man by a white cop?
I think not.
Showing posts with label militarization of US police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label militarization of US police. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
Ferguson is America's wake-up call
Since Michael Brown was gunned down in the street a week ago, America has changed.
Suddenly all America is noticing what brown America has always known; local police have become an army of occupation.
It was an astute move to replace the local cops, but that amounts to nothing more than changing the bandage.
Those of us fortunate enough to view things from a safe distance have often marvelled at how the war on drugs so seamlessly conjoined with the war on terror, and how both continued the war on those who were already dispossessed before either.
I think that's starting to change.
Tonight we have mainstream news outlets talking about the militarization of local policing. That's been a growing problem since the creation of the first SWAT teams.
It's a problem that has grown exponentially in the last few years. Local cops should never be a tool to intimidate the community.
That realization could well lead to other insights.
Suddenly all America is noticing what brown America has always known; local police have become an army of occupation.
It was an astute move to replace the local cops, but that amounts to nothing more than changing the bandage.
Those of us fortunate enough to view things from a safe distance have often marvelled at how the war on drugs so seamlessly conjoined with the war on terror, and how both continued the war on those who were already dispossessed before either.
I think that's starting to change.
Tonight we have mainstream news outlets talking about the militarization of local policing. That's been a growing problem since the creation of the first SWAT teams.
It's a problem that has grown exponentially in the last few years. Local cops should never be a tool to intimidate the community.
That realization could well lead to other insights.
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