How does the US Left propose to deal with terrorism?
Doug responded:
Stop supporting the Israeli occupation, stop propping up wretched regimes in the Middle East (a partial redundancy), and send the cops after any hardcore cranks that remain.
Kelley replied:
cops would behave differently than the military? i think not.
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Well you're right, the police can be as brutal as the military.
But there is a real problem -- terrorism -- and it needs to be addressed. Now, the use of the military guarantees disaster since the military brings an overkilling arsenal to bear against whatver adversary it happens to be facing. Its bag of tricks is filled only with hammers of various sizes and destrunctive yields so no matter how many times you reach into it, hammers is all you're going to get. But a hammer alone is not the right tool for this job.
Terrorism is a criminal activity and must be dealt with through policing. While it's undeniable that police -- the whole world over -- can be abusive and dangerous and gangsterish in their actions there is, at the very least, a framework for democratic control of police power. Also, the police will not bring AH-60's AC-130s, depleted uranium ammo, hellfire missles, thermobaric bombs, B-2 bombers and all the rest of the equipment the military must use (or, what's the point of having it?).
This fact alone limits the amount of damage that can be done by police forces when compared to the military.
I remember Chomsky being asked, not long after 9/11, what actions he would support. I remember him saying that simple police procedurals -- enhanced from time to time by special forces action to take on the truly hardcore and well-armed -- would be enough IF married to a change in American behavior.
Seems just right to me.
.d.