First and foremost: Police are fundamentally built on racism and oppression. The idea of a standing police force very much goes back to the days of slave catching and union busting (arguably that specifically goes back to also putting down peasant uprisings under feudalism). And that holds true in basically every country. Wherever there is an oppressed people, there are the boys in blue to beat on them if they get too uppity.
And a lot of that is the idea that, under any form of resource scarcity*, it is a zero sum game. If Fred has a loaf of bread, that means I have one less loaf of bread. So I should go cave Fred’s skull in and take my bread back. Obviously.
Which… will become a more valid argument as more and more of the world collapses to climate change. But mostly, this was used as a way for (generally white) politicians to maintain power. The problem isn’t outdated factories and production models. The problem is black people taking your jobs. So rather than wonder why we have no social safety nets, you should take your jobs back from them. Same with the idea that Fred would have been promoted, even though he can barely read and is grossly incompetent at his job, if Sophie hadn’t gotten promoted because of affirmative action.
Its Irish and Asian, but Warrior on Cinemax (? whatever, one of the things HBO owns) is actually a really good look at this. Set in turn of the century San Francisco and shows how quickly “We can abuse these workers more” turns into “Sorry Irish people but the Chinese stole your jobs”. And it is just a spectacular show in almost every way (LOTS of gratuitous nudity in season 1 though… which may be a plus or minus depending on your thoughts). And it is especially “funny” because the Irish have historically been shit on (to the point that there are a LOT of horrifically racist phrases that boil down to “The irish/Romani/Travelers are the black people of white people”). Which gets into a different mess that still goes on (and tends to result in asian people getting beaten on the moment there is any economic uncertainty).
Which is, again, why violent uprisings won’t work. Because that plays into the idea that 'Those black folk are coming to steal your jobs, your land, your women, and your loaf of bread". And is probably a good chunk of why “We have to protect the Target!” became such a rallying cry against the BLM protests.
*: Yes, capitalism takes the ball and runs with it. But this is also an issue under more socialist/communist models, as can be seen under the USSR and Cuba and the like. Resource scarcity is the fundamental issue
Police are fundamentally built on racism and oppression. The idea of a standing police force very much goes back to the days of slave catching and union busting (arguably that specifically goes back to also putting down peasant uprisings under feudalism).
Why maintain those aspects though?
And a lot of that is the idea that, under any form of resource scarcity*, it is a zero sum game. If Fred has a loaf of bread, that means I have one less loaf of bread. So I should go cave Fred’s skull in and take my bread back. Obviously.
Not obviously, it’s pretty well known that we grow more than enough food to feed pretty much everyone at this point. And what resources are even being exhausted here?
What does work? What will help specifically? Why do some people choose this and others not? Why do some stop after doing it for a while and others not? Why do some start doing after a while of not doing it and others not? It’s not as if it’s some obscure, hard-to-find conclusion that this stuff never ever goes well… ~Cherri
Not obviously, it’s pretty well known that we grow more than enough food to feed pretty much everyone at this point. And what resources are even being exhausted here?
The idea is that the people who want those groups fighting will push that way of thinking. Also, resources in this context dont just mean necessities of survival. Go watch fox news. One of the main views they push there is that “illegal immigrants are there to steal your jobs”. They’ve gone as far as to say things like “democrats are stealing your money” or “those guys are satanists, they’re stealing your children!”
It isn’t the fact that resources really are greater than demand, it’s about stoking the thought that some group is less desirable by pushing the ideology that resources are finite and those groups are taking them.
It’s not as if it’s some obscure, hard-to-find conclusion that this stuff never ever goes well
“White People” would very much beg to differ. Hell, we have an example of an extreme minority using racism and bigotry to remain in power in ways that outright shit on the fundamentals of the country they claim to be serving. And this includes actively trying to kill a man by hiding his firefighting tools from him.
Having armed thugs who will beat on and keep anyone who tries to stand up for themselves into submission is how you maintain power. And thugs will gladly support that if it means they are a bit above their others. Same with everyday people who decide they want to support the thugs because it means they’ll be a notch or two above the people who lost eyes to “rubber bullets” or were permanently crippled by broken bones. And so forth.
And “White people” is obviously not the entire story. Plenty of African and Middle Eastern warlords and the like use the same tactics. Hell, the CCP are actively engaging in genocide and mostly it is just the right wing propaganda channels who care enough to even acknowledge it (and they mostly just want an excuse to beat on asian people). But the fact that the “ethnicity in power” on 5 or 6 continents can be traced to rich europeans says a lot. Because people love “peace and safety” and don’t care how many people get their faces caved in with a baton to get it… until it is their face being caved in.
Why don’t they care until it’s them? Why do others care? And I know it’s not exclusive to white people, I’m just talking about the white people in that
town because that’s what’s relevant here. Why prioritize getting and maintaining power over others over human lives? Why do others not? Why do people want notches above? I… I don’t get it. It just leads to more questions ~Cherri
First and foremost: Police are fundamentally built on racism and oppression. The idea of a standing police force very much goes back to the days of slave catching and union busting (arguably that specifically goes back to also putting down peasant uprisings under feudalism). And that holds true in basically every country. Wherever there is an oppressed people, there are the boys in blue to beat on them if they get too uppity.
And a lot of that is the idea that, under any form of resource scarcity*, it is a zero sum game. If Fred has a loaf of bread, that means I have one less loaf of bread. So I should go cave Fred’s skull in and take my bread back. Obviously.
Which… will become a more valid argument as more and more of the world collapses to climate change. But mostly, this was used as a way for (generally white) politicians to maintain power. The problem isn’t outdated factories and production models. The problem is black people taking your jobs. So rather than wonder why we have no social safety nets, you should take your jobs back from them. Same with the idea that Fred would have been promoted, even though he can barely read and is grossly incompetent at his job, if Sophie hadn’t gotten promoted because of affirmative action.
Its Irish and Asian, but Warrior on Cinemax (? whatever, one of the things HBO owns) is actually a really good look at this. Set in turn of the century San Francisco and shows how quickly “We can abuse these workers more” turns into “Sorry Irish people but the Chinese stole your jobs”. And it is just a spectacular show in almost every way (LOTS of gratuitous nudity in season 1 though… which may be a plus or minus depending on your thoughts). And it is especially “funny” because the Irish have historically been shit on (to the point that there are a LOT of horrifically racist phrases that boil down to “The irish/Romani/Travelers are the black people of white people”). Which gets into a different mess that still goes on (and tends to result in asian people getting beaten on the moment there is any economic uncertainty).
Which is, again, why violent uprisings won’t work. Because that plays into the idea that 'Those black folk are coming to steal your jobs, your land, your women, and your loaf of bread". And is probably a good chunk of why “We have to protect the Target!” became such a rallying cry against the BLM protests.
*: Yes, capitalism takes the ball and runs with it. But this is also an issue under more socialist/communist models, as can be seen under the USSR and Cuba and the like. Resource scarcity is the fundamental issue
Why maintain those aspects though?
Not obviously, it’s pretty well known that we grow more than enough food to feed pretty much everyone at this point. And what resources are even being exhausted here?
What does work? What will help specifically? Why do some people choose this and others not? Why do some stop after doing it for a while and others not? Why do some start doing after a while of not doing it and others not? It’s not as if it’s some obscure, hard-to-find conclusion that this stuff never ever goes well… ~Cherri
The idea is that the people who want those groups fighting will push that way of thinking. Also, resources in this context dont just mean necessities of survival. Go watch fox news. One of the main views they push there is that “illegal immigrants are there to steal your jobs”. They’ve gone as far as to say things like “democrats are stealing your money” or “those guys are satanists, they’re stealing your children!”
It isn’t the fact that resources really are greater than demand, it’s about stoking the thought that some group is less desirable by pushing the ideology that resources are finite and those groups are taking them.
“White People” would very much beg to differ. Hell, we have an example of an extreme minority using racism and bigotry to remain in power in ways that outright shit on the fundamentals of the country they claim to be serving. And this includes actively trying to kill a man by hiding his firefighting tools from him.
Having armed thugs who will beat on and keep anyone who tries to stand up for themselves into submission is how you maintain power. And thugs will gladly support that if it means they are a bit above their others. Same with everyday people who decide they want to support the thugs because it means they’ll be a notch or two above the people who lost eyes to “rubber bullets” or were permanently crippled by broken bones. And so forth.
And “White people” is obviously not the entire story. Plenty of African and Middle Eastern warlords and the like use the same tactics. Hell, the CCP are actively engaging in genocide and mostly it is just the right wing propaganda channels who care enough to even acknowledge it (and they mostly just want an excuse to beat on asian people). But the fact that the “ethnicity in power” on 5 or 6 continents can be traced to rich europeans says a lot. Because people love “peace and safety” and don’t care how many people get their faces caved in with a baton to get it… until it is their face being caved in.
Why don’t they care until it’s them? Why do others care? And I know it’s not exclusive to white people, I’m just talking about the white people in that town because that’s what’s relevant here. Why prioritize getting and maintaining power over others over human lives? Why do others not? Why do people want notches above? I… I don’t get it. It just leads to more questions ~Cherri