US Politics: I am a blatant racist and that will give unfair advantages to minorities or something

[Commodore]

re Bundy, John Fund on the rise of paramilitary units being deployed by government agencies against American citizens

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376053/united-states-swat-john-fund

Dozens of federal agencies now have Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams to further an expanding definition of their missions. It’s not controversial that the Secret Service and the Bureau of Prisons have them. But what about the Department of Agriculture, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Office of Personnel Management, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? All of these have their own SWAT units and are part of a worrying trend towards the militarization of federal agencies — not to mention local police forces.

“Law-enforcement agencies across the U.S., at every level of government, have been blurring the line between police officer and soldier,” journalist Radley Balko writes in his 2013 book Rise of the Warrior Cop. “The war on drugs and, more recently, post-9/11 antiterrorism efforts have created a new figure on the U.S. scene: the warrior cop — armed to the teeth, ready to deal harshly with targeted wrongdoers, and a growing threat to familiar American liberties.”

The proliferation of paramilitary federal SWAT teams inevitably brings abuses that have nothing to do with either drugs or terrorism. Many of the raids they conduct are against harmless, often innocent, Americans who typically are accused of non-violent civil or administrative violations.

Take the case of Kenneth Wright of Stockton, Calif., who was “visited” by a SWAT team from the U.S. Department of Education in June 2011. Agents battered down the door of his home at 6 a.m., dragged him outside in his boxer shorts, and handcuffed him as they put his three children (ages 3, 7, and 11) in a police car for two hours while they searched his home. The raid was allegedly intended to uncover information on Wright’s estranged wife, Michelle, who hadn’t been living with him and was suspected of college financial-aid fraud.

The year before the raid on Wright, a SWAT team from the Food and Drug Administration raided the farm of Dan Allgyer of Lancaster, Pa. His crime was shipping unpasteurized milk across state lines to a cooperative of young women with children in Washington, D.C., called Grass Fed on the Hill. Raw milk can be sold in Pennsylvania, but it is illegal to transport it across state lines. The raid forced Allgyer to close down his business.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Commodore,

The year before the raid on Wright, a SWAT team from the Food and Drug Administration raided the farm of Dan Allgyer of Lancaster, Pa. His crime was shipping unpasteurized milk across state lines to a cooperative of young women with children in Washington, D.C., called Grass Fed on the Hill. Raw milk can be sold in Pennsylvania, but it is illegal to transport it across state lines. The raid forced Allgyer to close down his business.

Should I watch for no knock raids when I use raw milk (locally produced) to make rice pudding and egg nog at Christmas time?

[Ramsay Gimp]

re Bundy, John Fund on the rise of paramilitary units being deployed by government agencies against American citizens

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376053/united-states-swat-john-fund

What possible justification is there for giving the "Railroad Retirement Board" an armed wing?? Is the Post Office next? This stuff would be funny if it wasn't so scary

[Mazigh]

What possible justification is there for giving the "Railroad Retirement Board" an armed wing?? Is the Post Office next? This stuff would be funny if it wasn't so scary

Probably IRS so they can better combat those conservative groups they targeted Unless of course they already have an armed wing

[ThinkerX]

Raw milk is a danger. Here in the now thawing north country, we had a sort of round robin co-op type deal selling home grown agricultural products, with a focus on raw milk. Several very serious illnesses, and if memory serves, one or two deaths. Part of the cause was these people kept moving the actual cows around, and some were far more responsible than others about taking care of the bovines. Amazingly, from what I remember, this mess didn't put the group out of biz.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Thinker,

Surely SWAT raids aren't the best way to deal with this difficulty?

[ThinkerX]

I got the raw milk tale from the local print paper and odd radio spot, from about a year ago. From what I remember, no SWAT raids (which we don't have), though there was a lawsuit or two and a string of regulatory complaints.

But yes, raids by armed officers seem out of place here.

In connection with this, I should point out there has been a large gardening/small scale farming 'industry' hereabouts going back decades, with one or two legit milk producing locations...though I seem to remember one shutting down some years back. Emphasis is on barley, potatoes and giant cabbages, though there are a few souls growing pumpkins with a weight literally equal to that of a small car (maybe MC has some recipe ideas there).

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

Probably IRS so they can better combat those conservative groups they targeted Unless of course they already have an armed wing

The IRS is much scarier than any SWAT team. Just think, if the BLM could freeze Bundy's assets, suspend his business licenses, put a lien on his ranch and herd, they never would've had to deploy a SWAT team.

[Madfunkymonkey]

Since Democrats are "smarter" and "better" than me I guess I will vote for them this November.

http://allenbwest.com/2014/04/top-10-reasons-vote-democrat-2014%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/

[Bonesy]

The thread title was in my opinion ill-considered and malicious. But these new conservative posters don't seem to even try to make a cogent point let alone defend the argument proposed.

This is why swing voters are leaning to the left, unless they are either too biased or ignorant. That's where the war will be fought; between the ignorant and the more ignorant.

At least until the plutocrats subjugate us all.

[Madfunkymonkey]

The thread title was in my opinion ill-considered and malicious. But these new conservative posters don't seem to even try to make a cogent point let alone defend the argument proposed.

This is why swing voters are leaning to the left, unless they are either too biased or ignorant. That's where the war will be fought; between the ignorant and the more ignorant.

At least until the plutocrats subjugate us all.

That's because we know that our counter parts are "better" and "smarter" than us.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

That's because we know that our counter parts are "better" and "smarter" than us.

http://s1336.photobucket.com/user/Lumpy67/media/youlie_zps2bad2a6e.jpg.html

Or was that "not meant to be a factual statement"?

[Mazigh]

The IRS is much scarier than any SWAT team. Just think, if the BLM could freeze Bundy's assets, suspend his business licenses, put a lien on his ranch and herd, they never would've had to deploy a SWAT team.

Freezing assets worked good when Obama did it to Putin and his friends

[Wise Fool]

That's because we know that our counter parts are "better" and "smarter" than us.

The reason you're not doing very well in defending your positions is because when a thorough rebuttal is given, you ignore it completely. In your case making up some stupid story about your basement-dwelling housemate as the reason you didn't reply. Eventually people stop arguing with you because it is literally a waste of their time. Truth bounces off you and you apparently produce some antibodies which make you immune to facts, logic or reason.

You're not "worse" and "dumber," but your arguments are.

[Madfunkymonkey]

The reason you're not doing very well in defending your positions is because when a thorough rebuttal is given, you ignore it completely. In your case making up some stupid story about your basement-dwelling housemate as the reason you didn't reply. Eventually people stop arguing with you because it is literally a waste of their time. Truth bounces off you and you apparently produce some antibodies which make you immune to facts, logic or reason.

You're not "worse" and "dumber," but your arguments are.

That's because I am a sheep and need people who are "smarter" and "better" than me to tell me how to think. That's why I am now a die hard liberal.

Thank you "smarter" and "better" people for showing me the light.

[MerenthaClone]

Thinker,

Surely SWAT raids aren't the best way to deal with this difficulty?

SWAT raids really aren't the answer to anything except an active shooter situation, an active hostage situation, or...not much else, really. Fuck 'em, we use SWAT way too much.

[Wise Fool]

That's because I am a sheep and need people who are "smarter" and "better" than me to tell me how to think. That's why I am now a die hard liberal.

Thank you "smarter" and "better" people for showing me the light.

This passive-aggressive outburst would be a cutting retort if I'd ever said that I was smarter or better than you. As it is, it just sounds like a bit of whinging about something you imagine somebody implied.

[all swedes are racist]

re Bundy, John Fund on the rise of paramilitary units being deployed by government agencies against American citizens

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376053/united-states-swat-john-fund

While the admittedly loony rabid environmentalist in me does smile at the image of an armored, crazy-ass Judge Dredd type EPA officer punching through a windshield and dragging some asshole bodily out of a car for littering... In all seriousness, that's ducking frightening. Railroad Retirement SWAT team? Good gravy, why in the fuck could that be even close to necessary?

[Inigima]

The thread title was in my opinion ill-considered and malicious.

It's a quote from an actual, literal out-in-the-open bigot and antisemite. Fuck him, I make no apologies for it.

[Ramsay Gimp]

It's a quote from an actual, literal out-in-the-open bigot and antisemite. Fuck him, I make no apologies for it.

Yikes...perhaps it would behoove everyone to step back and take a breath. The discussion would obviously be improved if we could go two pages without any antisemitic/bigoted statements or any personal insults

While the admittedly loony rabid environmentalist in me does smile at the image of an armored, crazy-ass Judge Dredd type EPA officer punching through a windshield and dragging some asshole bodily out of a car for littering... In all seriousness, that's ducking frightening. Railroad Retirement SWAT team? Good gravy, why in the fuck could that be even close to necessary?

I've been wanting to read Brian Doherty's Radley Balko's "Rise of the Warrior Cop" for some time, it's apparently one of the best sources on this issue. But yes it's very frightening, it almost seems like they're preparing for something :uhoh:

On the other hand, general trends can usually explain these things better than deliberate conspiracies. In hindsight it almost seems inevitable that decades of the military-industrial complex, paranoia about drugs/terrorism, and constant post-9/11 warfare would eventually come home to roost in the form of armed Railroad Retirement Agents

Can you guys maybe, just maybe, find some sympathy for the fears of the dreaded Militia Movement now, after reading Commodore's link? Keep in mind the majority of them are non-violent and espouse no racial ideology. They may have wacky theories to explain this stuff, and their solutions may be ill-advised, but it seems to me that they are responding to a very real problem: the growth of the security/surveillance state and militarization of law enforcement/federal bureaucracies. If they are guilty of paranoia, the Feds are even more so