OWS girl gets 90 days

[brimic]

Dude should absolutely be doing time for many years. Cops should absolutely not dogpile and beat someone who is unconscious.

Doesn't seem that complicated to me.

The cops are the only ones profeshunal enough to administer beatings to someone unconscious.

[AJ Dual]

Dude did come real close to running over an officer, and high speed pursuits are dangerous.
That said, beating people that deserve it but legally should not beaten is also a no-no.

Call it even, or toss both in the clink?

Goes back to one of the themes I'm repetitive on here over "Institutional Evil" as an emergent property of a system, polity, or organization.

People are reluctant to face the problem, or fail to acknowledge it, because there's no twirling mustache villain, megalomaniac etc. who is deliberately plotting or engaging in evil. 99% of the time the police in this instance did not, and never have woken up thinking: "Gee. Hope I can really beat the *expletive deleted*it out of someone today!"

However, groupthink, peer pressure, adrenaline, anger, the erosive effects of dealing with the dregs of society day in and out all take it's toll. And the fact the victim of said brutality is more often than not of the criminal class, or at least on it's fringes doesn't help either.

Discounted to a degree, because no one is willing to replicate the experiments and get controls, such as Milgram and the Stanford Prison experiment, but there's a hint that there's an Auschwitz tower guard in all of us, given enough time, and the right leverage.

[brimic]

However, groupthink, peer pressure, adrenaline, anger, the erosive effects of dealing with the dregs of society day in and out all take it's toll. And the fact the victim of said brutality is more often than not of the criminal class, or at least on it's fringes doesn't help either.

Discounted to a degree, because no one is willing to replicate the experiments and get controls, such as Milgram and the Stanford Prison experiment, but there's a hint that there's an Auschwitz tower guard in all of us, given enough time, and the right leverage.

Truth be told- 9/10 people would have very little problem with cops getting their licks in on a dangerous criminal- until they themselves are either in that bad position or take the time to really process such behavior.

I have the feeling that the 'obeying authority' behavior is hardwired into us, and is very difficult to break away from. There is probably sound evolutionary reasons for it, as in facilitating group survival.

[fifth_column]

Goes back to one of the themes I'm repetitive on here over "Institutional Evil" as an emergent property of a system, polity, or organization.

People are reluctant to face the problem, or fail to acknowledge it, because there's no twirling mustache villain, megalomaniac etc. who is deliberately plotting or engaging in evil. 99% of the time the police in this instance did not, and never have woken up thinking: "Gee. Hope I can really beat the *expletive deleted* out of someone today!"

However, groupthink, peer pressure, adrenaline, anger, the erosive effects of dealing with the dregs of society day in and out all take it's toll. And the fact the victim of said brutality is more often than not of the criminal class, or at least on it's fringes doesn't help either.

Discounted to a degree, because no one is willing to replicate the experiments and get controls, such as Milgram and the Stanford Prison experiment, but there's a hint that there's an Auschwitz tower guard in all of us, given enough time, and the right leverage.

It seems that there's a mindset among police, of whatever stripe, that non-police are the criminal class.  It's a mindset that dehumanizes all civilians, making us the enemy.  It not only justifies brutality, it negates any feelings that abusing civilians is an issue whatsoever.  Why should they care what happens to criminals?  Why should anyone?

[brimic]

It seems that there's a mindset among police, of whatever stripe, that non-police are the criminal class.  It's a mindset that dehumanizes all civilians, making us the enemy.  It not only justifies brutality, it negates any feelings that abusing civilians is an issue whatsoever.  Why should they care what happens to criminals?  Why should anyone?

To expound on my last post, I was talking to my wife last night as we watched an interview with Snowden on NBC. She kept saying "why don't we send the Navy Seals into Russia and kill him?"
She didn't get the whole issue with NDAA, the NSA and the surveillance state. She continued with the line "If you aren't doing anything wrong..."
She pretty much typifies the american idle/bachelorette/reality tv/bread and circuses consuming  majority of america- completely removed from all reality from what is going on in our country.