[lbo-talk] Police brutality

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Mon Apr 16 11:47:34 PDT 2007


Dwayne:

Do you really believe any rational person would argue that the police should shout miranda rights at a man who's killing people?

[WS:] Oh, absolutely. More than that, they would actually kill people who do not fit the utopia they have in their minds - or perhaps have them killed. Let me just name one example - Pol Pot. He could have been a contributor to this list during his student days in Paris, posting anti-imperialist tirades and articles extolling third world populist movements, which would have been very well received by many other subscribers. And look what he did when he had an opportunity to make his impact. It seems probable to me that some participants of this list (Carrol C.? Louis P.? perhaps a few other) would not have any qualms putting someone like me who does not fit their design for society before a firing squad if they had a chance.

To make a broader point, I would not trust an intellectual in a leadership position at all, especially one with strong convictions. I think those guys and gals are too centered on their own ideas and visions, too uncompromising about their own truth, too focused on their own demons and grievances to see anything that does not fit their intellectual agenda, too proud to concede a point and stand to be corrected to be entrusted with any real power over other people's lives.

Wojtek



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