The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship (Reply #14)

In the discussion thread: My default is to side with the cops [View all]

Response to Stinky The Clown (Original post)

Wed Apr 12, 2017, 01:21 PM

athena (4,187 posts)

14. The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship

is that in a democracy, the cops are there to protect the people; in a dictatorship, they're there to protect the state from the people. You can tell whether a country is a democracy or a dictatorship by the attitude of its citizens toward the police: are they trusting, or are they afraid? When people in a country start to be afraid of the police, it's a sign that democracy is eroding.

In this case, we see more and more evidence that the police are there to protect powerful corporations from the people. This is very concerning. You might want to start questioning your tendency to side with them by default.

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Replies to this discussion thread

81 replies	Author	Time	Post
My default is to side with the cops [View all]	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	OP
It's their job to protect the rich and control the peasants n/t	leftstreet	Apr 2017	#1
Said like a true anarchist	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#19
Not so much	atreides1	Apr 2017	#42
Those goons were wearing fat guy blue jeans and polo shirts, are we sure they weren't custodians?	The_Casual_Observer	Apr 2017	#2
News stories identified them as Chicago cops	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#20
That was sloppy reporting. They weren't officers with the Chicago police department.	pnwmom	Apr 2017	#48
Be that as it may, it is beside the point of my OP	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#56
Clearly they didn't have sufficient training.	pnwmom	Apr 2017	#68
I once heard...	yallerdawg	Apr 2017	#3
And the ones who fit that profile are the ones who should NOT be in the cop house.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#21
"Do some level of psychological screening"	ExciteBike66	Apr 2017	#4
That should happen once a year.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#22
Pretty much agree. But I really like having bystanders or police video to make an informed decision.	Hoyt	Apr 2017	#5
Good perspective; I pretty much agree n/t	discntnt_irny_srcsm	Apr 2017	#6
I wish EVERY cop encounter were on video.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#23
+1 nt	steve2470	Apr 2017	#78
Cellphone videos are proof that this type of culture has been	bathroommonkey76	Apr 2017	#7
No argument	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#18
+1	dalton99a	Apr 2017	#72
I just try to not make up my mind too quickly	mythology	Apr 2017	#8
But you also have to have some sort of default.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#24
I have to question whether	jackssonjack	Apr 2017	#81
Irrational to default to siding with a thing simply because they are an organization.	LanternWaste	Apr 2017	#9
Not at all "irrational"	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#25
wouldn't it had	burnbaby	Apr 2017	#10
This thread was not about the United incident, per se.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#26
A video posted by suffragette shows prior to him being drug off the plane.	duncang	Apr 2017	#11
This is not about the United incident. That was cited simply by way of example.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#27
Mine is to not believe a word they say.	alarimer	Apr 2017	#12
Can't argue. We have different defaults, but your is no less valid than mine.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#29
Really, what about the thin blue line and police unions, who selects these leaders...	Humanist_Activist	Apr 2017	#50
Unions don't select cop leadership. Politicians do.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#57
To give an example, a majority of cops in Chicago(55%) just voted in a guy who is against...	Humanist_Activist	Apr 2017	#59
"My default is to side with the cops."	RedWedge	Apr 2017	#13
Yep	Solomon	Apr 2017	#15
Explain what you mean by saying "exactly" to that post.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#32
Excuse me?	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#31
Okay.	RedWedge	Apr 2017	#45
Oh, okay. So my view is because I'm white?	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#58
Why say you are done? Do you not acknowledge that being white influences your interactions...	Humanist_Activist	Apr 2017	#61
Well said.	RedWedge	Apr 2017	#75
Why DO you tend to side with the cops?	RedWedge	Apr 2017	#64
Also, what if I removed one sentence from the response you objected to?	RedWedge	Apr 2017	#65
The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship	athena	Apr 2017	#14
Thats a cop leadership issue, now isn't it?	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#34
I don't think so.	athena	Apr 2017	#49
Oh good lord.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#60
This is a strange reaction indeed.	athena	Apr 2017	#71
My default is to side against the cops.	panader0	Apr 2017	#16
And that's the leadership, now isn't it?	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#17
They were not airport cops	grantcart	Apr 2017	#28
I understood from news reports they were Chicago PD assigned to the airport	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#35
It was widely reported that police were involved and that was not correct	grantcart	Apr 2017	#43
A Good solid OP, and food for thought.	BannonsLiver	Apr 2017	#30
They also are the defect mental health and social workers, too.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#36
That is true.	Alice11111	Apr 2017	#39
Until "good" cops turn in "bad" cops	tazkcmo	Apr 2017	#33
That's a very broad brush. And very unfair.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#37
its overstated, but if you are a cop who lets bad things happen that you know about, even if you	JCanete	Apr 2017	#47
My default is not to side with the cops.	Alice11111	Apr 2017	#38
This year, most cities hold mayoral and council elections...	brooklynite	Apr 2017	#40
All true. Now the bigger question: How many actually bothered to even vote?	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#62
About this:	MyOwnPeace	Apr 2017	#41
Please reread the OP and replies to get a better sense of contextual meaning	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#44
Like I said,	MyOwnPeace	Apr 2017	#54
My default is to assemble the evidence, weight it dispassionately, and render a sober judgment.	DemocratSinceBirth	Apr 2017	#46
Wow, we agree completely.	Stinky The Clown	Apr 2017	#63
+100	meadowlander	Apr 2017	#67
I do too	steve2470	Apr 2017	#79
Don't get me started on the cops	MrScorpio	Apr 2017	#51
sincerely, please do MrS	steve2470	Apr 2017	#77
Police should be put on heightened scrutiny...	Humanist_Activist	Apr 2017	#52
As a retired lawyer that defended people	jiminvegas	Apr 2017	#53
I don't trust cops and that is based upon my life experience.	walkingman	Apr 2017	#55
My default is to question cops	DemocraticSocialist8	Apr 2017	#66
that's fine for some folks	bigtree	Apr 2017	#69
In my personal opinion.	Eko	Apr 2017	#70
Not me, though I understand there are plenty of good cops	mvd	Apr 2017	#73
+1 nt	steve2470	Apr 2017	#80
My default is to disbelieve anything thaat comes out of any cop's mouth.	Foamfollower	Apr 2017	#74
Mine is too. Very very few cops are strong enough to "narc" on bad cops	steve2470	Apr 2017	#76

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