>Nathan Newman:
>> ...
>> The bemoaning of state violence as THE problem is an odd libertarian tic
>> that ignores a whole history of struggle demanding stronger police
>> protection for oppressed communities. Chaos has rarely been the choice of
>> such communities, however romantic some left intellectuals have found it.
>
>I'll defend the libertarians (and some commies, too) by
>noting that an increased police presence in Black areas did
>not have the desired result.
What was the desired result that didn't materialize? There's no question that crime rates are down sharply in the poorest (i.e., brownest and blackest) neighborhoods of NYC. I spent a lot of time in Bed-Stuy in 2000, because my beloved was living there, and there was virtually no visible crime. Five or 10 years ago, there were shootings all the time. This peace has come at a high price - repression and mass incarceration - but policing did have its desired effect. And by all accounts, the residents aren't happy with the repression, but they are happy that flying lead is no longer endemic. So what didn't work?
Doug