Listening to the BBC World Service means entering a depressing and infuriating presentation of a left of centre world view, paid for by the British Foreign Office. That's just how it is. It wasn't always nearly so bad. But nevertheless you learn things.
Yesterday an American who had worked for the Obama administration (of course) told the BBC that 1200-1500 people a year die in US at hands of police. Fewer than 20 police officers are prosecuted. This seems shocking and is what should concern Americans, not the colour of the many hundreds of people killed.
But in fact these killings are not what concern Americans. The race question is what concerns them.
When a Somali-American policewoman killed a white women in Minnesota for what seemed like no good reason few cared. When a white policeman kills a black man riots happen.
And what is interesting is that much of what in England is called the middle class, meaning the comfortably off people with a good education, are on the side of the street and the protesters. Anti-racism is a huge social movement, but I suspect mostly among graduates.
The left-wing press misuse statistics to imply the killings of blacks are because of the colour of their skin, but the evidence is the other way.
When a Somali-American policewoman killed a white women in Minnesota for what seemed like no good reason few cared. When a white policeman kills a black man riots happen.
And what is interesting is that much of what in England is called the middle class, meaning the comfortably off people with a good education, are on the side of the street and the protesters. Anti-racism is a huge social movement, but I suspect mostly among graduates.
The left-wing press misuse statistics to imply the killings of blacks are because of the colour of their skin, but the evidence is the other way.
Unsurprisingly it's people from the same milieu as the violent criminals who get arrested and sometimes killed.
Nevertheless, for every 10,000 black people arrested for violent crime, three are killed, while for every 10,000 white people arrested for violent crime, four are killed.
Vox found that blacks were 32 percent of those killed by police -- right in between blacks' proportion of the general population (about 13 percent) and blacks' proportion of homicide offenders whose race is known (52 percent).The Black Lives Matter movement was born on Facebook and made great strides during the 2016 election campaign until an African-American sniper at a BLM protest in Dallas on July 7, 2016 killed five police officers and injured nine others and two civilians.
The key variable is age: The ratio of blacks to whites killed by police is much higher among teens than among older adults. And so is the ratio of blacks to whites identified as homicide offenders, a decent measure of involvement in serious violent crime.
Today's protests are already violent and involve much looting. I imagine they are being planned by someone rather than spontaneous.
Back in the 1950s, when Americans pointed out the wickedness of Communist regimes, Communists had one reply which they repeated a lot and which Americans found hard to answer,
Back in the 1950s, when Americans pointed out the wickedness of Communist regimes, Communists had one reply which they repeated a lot and which Americans found hard to answer,
What about the negroes?Now, once more, China, Russia and Iran are criticising the USA for its treatment of black people. Some things do not change.
Actually I think we should turn our attention to a much more important and much sadder story, the protests in Hong Kong, against a real evil, Chinese communism.
Actually I think we should turn our attention to a more important story, the protests in Hong Kong, against a real evil, Chinese communism.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese aren't communists.
It’s Past Time to Examine How Police Unions Protect Bad Cops
ReplyDeleteBy JOHN FUND
May 31, 2020
https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/george-floyd-death-focus-on-police-unions-protecting-bad-cops/
NOTE
ReplyDeleteLET THE SUNSHINE IN: ILLUMINATING THE
POWERFUL ROLE POLICE UNIONS PLAY IN
SHIELDING OFFICER MISCONDUCT
Katherine J. Bies
This Note also argues that police unions are unparalleled in their ability to
successfully advocate for policy proposals that conflict with traditional
democratic values of accountability and transparency. As this Note illustrates,
police unions often strategically frame any opposition to their agenda of
secrecy as endangering public safety and harming the public interest. However,
police unions often conflate “the public interest” with the private interests of
police officers. Police unions—like all unions—first and foremost advocate for
the rank-and-file’s interests as employees, sometimes at the expense of
democratic values. Additionally, police unions have established highly
developed political machinery that exerts significant political and financial
pressure on all three branches of government. This Note draws on two case
studies that illuminate the unique ability of police unions to persuade and
control public officials. Further, this Note argues that the power of police
unions over policymakers in the criminal justice context distorts the political
process and generates political outcomes that undermine the democratic values
of transparency and accountability.
https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SLPR-Vol.-28-1-Bies.pdf
You may be missing the point. When the black policeman killed the white woman in the case you name, there was an immediate investigation and legal redress. When white cops (or allied vigilantes) kill black people -- a much more common occurrence, by the way --nothing happens. What people are protesting is the lack of legal action or even coverups when white cops and other authorities kill black people in routine interactions. Black people have wound up dead for driving with a broken taillight or selling cigarettes. These are misdemeanors that should not spiral into deaths with trained law enforcement.
ReplyDeleteAnother factor is widespread video. Video now documents scenes of police shooting fleeing suspects in the back or choking them to death. These scenes often contradict the official account.
It is surprising that an anti-authoritarian like yourself is not more skeptical of police power, especially in the US. I am not particularly woke myself but incidents in the last few years have affected my point of view.
I thought it unnecessary to say I think 1200-1500 people dying each year in police custody in the USA is very shocking. But I have seen this film before and know how it ends. With looting violence and demagoguery. It's a godsend to Trump, as are those fatuous bishops, Anglican and Catholic.
Delete'When the black policeman killed the white woman in the case you name, there was an immediate investigation and legal redress.' Not protests and riots around the world.
DeleteAnd there has been an immediate investigation this time. I hope the accused men get a fair trial.
DeleteGEORGE FLOYD DEATH
ReplyDeleteMinneapolis police rendered 44 people unconscious with neck restraints in five years
Several police experts said that number appears to be unusually high. "By using this tactic, it's a self-fulfilling tragedy," said one.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minneapolis-police-rendered-44-people-unconscious-neck-restraints-five-years-n1220416
And yes, the looting is reprehensible and needs to stop.
ReplyDeleteMy late brother was married in the church Trump picked in front of which to scowl and hold a Bible upside down. It is a venerable institution called "The Church of the Presidents." My brother would have chuckled at the irony....RIP Douglas.
I detest violence by the police. I assume the American police are violent and corrupt. But I was trying to correct the misunderstandings in Europe about racist policemen randomly killing black men. Policemen should be like Caesar's wife above suspicion but the big issue is the murder of huge numbers of black people by other black people.
ReplyDeleteI detest violence by the police. I assume the American police are violent and corrupt.
DeleteThey seem to be.
I think the American Right has a huge problem in this respect. They're much too willing to excuse police violence and corruption. Which gives the Left a ready-made excuse to support violent protests. If it's possible to have a really dumb position on any issue you can rely on the American Right to take that very position. They really are clueless.
In this case though the American Right's response seems to be motivated by pure cynicism. They hope it will get Trump re-elected.
Those numbers are widely discussed and have been going down since the 1990s. They are terrible, but we expect more from trained law enforcement to keep the peace and protect human life than we do from random people in the streets.
DeleteThe American Left, by which I mean the Democrats, are cynically using this convulsion to try to stop Trump winning but it will win him votes, I'd imagine. Trump is using it cynically to help him win the election.
Delete