Dr. Cole: I believe this racist dichotomy goes back much, much further than the early 20th century. It seems that the fighters in the "Indian wars" and slaveholders are the foundation of what has become the US military and the entire attitude that pervades our society since the 1600s. The media perpetuate this attitude and it will take a concerted effort to change the racism that is foundational for US society. Several rationalizations about the extermination of 90% of the resident indigenous population have been posited (e.g., Indians fought each other; disease killed them off), but many are finally speaking the truth about what is nothing other than genocide. And when we can clearly trace about 60% of today's existing US wealth to the unpaid labor of the African slaves, the foundation of the culture becomes clear. We have a long, long way to go to eliminate US exceptionalism, the very same trait that makes white terrorists "troubled young men" and "lone wolves."
Bluntly, the so-called civilian police forces in this country in large measure are already military in their structure, their behavior, and many other respects. Really, what's the difference whether the military arrests you or the cops - the repressive outcome is effectively the same. I wish I had the insight to understand how to escape this fear-based, police-state mentality that we've constructed for ourselves.
Dr. Cole: I believe this racist dichotomy goes back much, much further than the early 20th century. It seems that the fighters in the "Indian wars" and slaveholders are the foundation of what has become the US military and the entire attitude that pervades our society since the 1600s. The media perpetuate this attitude and it will take a concerted effort to change the racism that is foundational for US society. Several rationalizations about the extermination of 90% of the resident indigenous population have been posited (e.g., Indians fought each other; disease killed them off), but many are finally speaking the truth about what is nothing other than genocide. And when we can clearly trace about 60% of today's existing US wealth to the unpaid labor of the African slaves, the foundation of the culture becomes clear. We have a long, long way to go to eliminate US exceptionalism, the very same trait that makes white terrorists "troubled young men" and "lone wolves."
Bluntly, the so-called civilian police forces in this country in large measure are already military in their structure, their behavior, and many other respects. Really, what's the difference whether the military arrests you or the cops - the repressive outcome is effectively the same. I wish I had the insight to understand how to escape this fear-based, police-state mentality that we've constructed for ourselves.