The way it works in the US is that the police are tasked with raising local government revenue. Much of this is through traffic violation. The police stop black people often on spurious and flimsy grounds knowing that they will resist. The resisting then becomes the reason for the detention and arrest. Notice that the original reason for the stop is then quietly dropped and forgotten about – as it would not stand up in court. Even if it did – the petty nature of it would only result in a modest fine. Resisting arrest, fighting with officers, and threats – attract not only hefty fines – but quite often prison sentences and criminal records. Complying would seem the logical choice as it involves the least overall risk – but we do not live in an ideal world. For a White American – this can be a pleasant encounter between community equals – but for non-Whites it is often the beginning of a nightmare and even result in the death of the civilian. Qualified immunity often means the offending officers receive little or no punishment.
Knowing that Black, Brown, and Native Americans will fight back – and using this knowledge to plan traffic stops – is inherently racist. Black, Brown, and Native Americans possess a living history of immense suffering perpetuated against them by the White community and they have a right to resist. The problem (for the White community) is “context” and “positioning” – but for the oppressed none of this matters as the oppresser cannot be allowed to call the shots. Racism, fur the Whites, is camouflaged behind a thin veneer of officialdom and social media humiliation (the White community uses the arrest videos of the oppressed as instruments for entertainment and merriment). YouTube has become the new Slave Clearing House where videos of Black people fighting for their lives against White oppression are bought and sold by the highest bidder. YouTube allows “categories” to assist the fetishised viewer – just like the Slave Markets of old.
All the videos of Black men are gathered into one place and easily accessible as they run, are caught, tasered, or shot. The same exists for Black women, and Black children. This new dealing in Black flesh is disguised by the fact that there are videos of White people as well – but the oppressed White working class possesses a different history altogether – even though this fact should not diminish the very real suffering of that community. The police process of approach and arrest is fascistic and derives from the concept of a stern and disapproving (middle class) Victorian father in England. He is all powerful and entirely despotic. What he says – goes (the UK invented the idea of the modern police force in the 1800s to ensure the rich retained the wealth they had stolen from the workers during the Industrial Revolution).
The police deprive you of your three dimensional freedom. You cannot think, feel, or move in any other way than that being ordered. This is the replacement of self-determination with an unyielding totalitarianism. Almost everyone is shocked when experiencing this process as it is the beginning of an incarceration designed to alter the behaviour patterns of the average person. In a fascist society – this state of affairs is “normalised” – with police simply extracting and removing citizens without the requirement of due process. What happens next in the liberal democracies depends upon the severity of the alleged crime and the flexibility of the system you inhabit. Long or short terms of imprisonment might happen – which might even involve execution. No wonder people fight bank. I believe humanity needs a new system.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 