>The wars on drugs, crime, and terrorism have been designed by the
>governing elite to erode the "safeguards against police abuses."
> From the point of view of the police and other agents of law
>enforcement, we are all potentially criminals, especially if we
>happen to have a darker skin. Zero tolerance is about "searching
>everybody to find the guilty," through the enforcement of previously
>unenforced or laxly enforced laws & regulations as well as new ones;
>it is also about segregating the poor from precious urban real
>estate, to be developed into what Christian Parenti calls a
>revitalized "FIRE/themepark city." Yoshie
Yoshie, first of all, we do not know whether the "governing elite" was unified on the issue and had clear game plans, let alone what those plans were. Based on my knowledge on policy decision making on much more important issues (such as niclear policy) - the whole process most lilely resembled the "garbage can" model of decision making - multiple stakeholders with whole bunch of their own agendas, not quite knowing what to do, what the impact of what theyr propose will be, and cutting deals right and left to get most out of it. In all likelihood, war on drugs is the proverbial camel (a horse designed by a committee) rather than a trojan horse.
The police abuses we witness are most like to be an outcome of monumental ineptitude of enforcement policy decision makers, lack of accountability, and unprofessionalism of the police force (too many wannabe or ex Marines, poor training, etc.) than a superbly designed and executed evil conspiracy.
Which brings us to the central point I have been trying to make. I am absolutely apalled by the US-ers' kneejerk reaction against anything that smacks of public institutions in favour of armed mobs taking public affairs into their own hands or better yet, waging a guerilla war against the "evil empire." It is so pathetic that it is not even funny.
Instead of demanding that the police behave as any other government agency - in a professional and accountable manner and represent & protect the public interest - the Loonie Left follows the footsteps of the militias and writes the police off as a bunch of thugs and gangsters. Or better yet, sides with lawbreakers against "government abuses." GOP should be really proud of such attitudes. Following that train of thought, you should write off other political institutions as well, the congres, the presidency, the state and city government, the IRS, the courts, the elections, buy a gun and go living in the fucking woods, playing indians and cowboys with your fellow militiamen.
wojtek