The Wow I Can't Believe That News Story Thread

[Deaa]

Slurp slurp boot

[Frownland]

^how to devalue your own stance 101

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

^ Good point !

When I saw the video, one of the first things I thought was, How would I feel if that happened to me while I was doing my job? TBH, I'd feel a lot more aggrieved than those cops looked. Then, because DMcC's job is well-known here, I tried to imagine DMcC having buckets of water thrown over him at work and decided that it's more of an outrage for any other professional apart from policemen - as if they are somehow a legit target. That's weird imo.

What would you consider to be good reasoning for treating policemen differently from regular civilians? Many Americans despise police officers because a lot of laws that they're enforcing are unethical, plus it's far from uncommon for police stations and academies to train officers to enforce the law unequally.

[elphenor]

an officer has never helped me

I once called them after being mugged they didnt help predictably

the only run in I ever have with them is a traffic stop

in fact it's also the only time I feel like the gov is all that limiting on my freedom

[Deaa]

Originally Posted by Frownland

^how to devalue your own stance 101

But why

[jwb]

Originally Posted by elphenor

particularly the cop profession attracts *******s

and then the way the job works reinforces dick behavior

also got to question why we send so many of them into communities that are like "no thanks fam"

most of the cut throats aren't cops though

If there's no law there's nothing to disincentivize anyone from just killing you and taking your ****.

Personally I think the real answer is anarchowahhabism. That's the spontaneous and decentralized adherence of all people to Sharia law.

[Frownland]

Originally Posted by Deaa

But why

Just trust me on this one.

[Lisnaholic]

Originally Posted by Frownland

What would you consider to be good reasoning for treating policemen differently from regular civilians?

Are you asking me that question, Frownland? I'm puzzled because I'm suggesting they should be treated similarly to other regular professions.

Many Americans despise police officers because a lot of laws that they're enforcing are unethical, plus it's far from uncommon for police stations and academies to train officers to enforce the law unequally.

^ Bold bit #1: strictly speaking, the police shouldn't be blamed for unethical laws as they are not the ones writing the laws. They can be blamed though, for over-zealous application of unethical laws, and of that, I'm sure they are frequently guilty.

Bold bit #2: I suspect that official training is to enforce laws equally. What happens in the informal work culture of a local police station may be very different of course. Probably lots of racism and corruption if American cop dramas on tv are any guide.

[Deaa]

The notion that norms and incentives against things like murder can only exist w/in the context of the modern legal apparatus/policing is pretty anthropologically illiterate.

[jwb]

But the only examples of a complex society like our own working has always had the basic apparatus of the state as the Monopoly of force. This has always been true since the dawn of civilization. Because as soon as we developed the ability to create a surplus of goods, there were hordes of bandits looking to raid that surplus.

More primitive, stateless societies like tribes never exceed a certain size and they don't create the same kind of surplus or wealth.

[Frownland]

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

Are you asking me that question, Frownland? I'm puzzled because I'm suggesting they should be treated similarly to other regular professions.

Yes, and I was asking you that to see if there are any circumstances that would change that opinion.

^ Bold bit #1: strictly speaking, the police shouldn't be blamed for unethical laws as they are not the ones writing the laws. They can be blamed though, for over-zealous application of unethical laws, and of that, I'm sure they are frequently guilty.

"We were just following orders."

Bold bit #2: I suspect that official training is to enforce laws equally.

What makes you think that?

I also want to clarify that I'm only talking about American police.