[quote=issodhos]Unfortunately, when a police force is allowed to be militarized one ends up with ... well ... with militarized cops who tend to view themselves as being apart from and superior to the rest of us peasants.
Yours,
Issodhos
I am a little confused by your point. Is it impossible to have a well regulated military? And wouldn't that be accomplished by leadership? Is it inherently true that a militarized police force cannot be as well regulated as a well led military? Must a military force inherently feel itself superior to civilians (peasants)? Might not a poorly led police force (militarized or not) feel itself superior to the peasants? Are militarized police (MPs) inherently bad?
No. Yes. No. No. Yes. Yes.
Caveats:
1. "well regulated is a poor choice of words but I think I know what you are refering to.
2. "MPs" (military police) differ from militarized non-military police.
In the end, it seems to me that you can have out of control police or out of control military with the common factor of defective leadership. A marshal force that treats civilians with disdain does not do so because of a military character, but rather because of lack of discipline.
The mindset needed for combat and the mindset needed for law enforcement are not normally interchangable. Would it surprise you to find that elite units tend to seem themselves as superior to common folk? Or that it would be something intentionally instilled in them and be considered desirable by 'leadership'? Do you support FBI sharpshooters blowing the heads off of unarmed mothers who are holding their babies while standing in their own doorways?:-)
Yours,
Issodhos
