Modern, as in trained for flexible mission parameters in a modern urban environment where earning/keeping the respect of the local civilian population is a critical part of the mission. A step beyond the reactionary notion that Brute force and brutal suppression are always the most effective path. A military where soldiers are trained to question orders and made individually responsible for following illegal orders.
For example, say what you will about America’s ultimate failure in Afghanistan, our soldiers on the ground became experts in local culture and factions and built cooperation to achieve mission objectives without alienating the population. If our political leadership was as professional as our soldiers I think things would have ended a lot differently.
I think the key difference between soldiers, leadership at home, and police: The soldiers are at risk of dying, if they piss off the locals. Our police and politicians are insulated from the consequences of stupidity and malice, so they never develop the character needed to ease tensions.
The training is not even similar, and neither are the hiring practices. I think that is the key difference.
I don’t think you are entirely wrong though. Police tend to act very differently when up against protesters who are known to be armed. That’s a big reason why concealed carry is allowed in many places when open carry isn’t. The politicians don’t want their thugs to be intimidated.
I think there’s a chance they dont pull the trigger when the order comes, or point up the chain of command. Thats kind of the only option for avoiding Really Bad here.
I dont have enough faith in them to expect any particular outcome here, but it’s in their hands. Kind of holding my breath.
The order is far from certain to come. It’s not like Trump or his buddies will be anywhere close to the action, and a general order to unnecessarily fire on civilians is not even likely to be passed down.
Frustrated, modern (whatever that means in this context), professional, and yet, still willing to point a gun at peaceful civilian protestors.
The jackboot is coming down on your head, but at least it’s polished, neatly tied, and only coming down hard enough to knock you out, not kill you.
Modern, as in trained for flexible mission parameters in a modern urban environment where earning/keeping the respect of the local civilian population is a critical part of the mission. A step beyond the reactionary notion that Brute force and brutal suppression are always the most effective path. A military where soldiers are trained to question orders and made individually responsible for following illegal orders.
For example, say what you will about America’s ultimate failure in Afghanistan, our soldiers on the ground became experts in local culture and factions and built cooperation to achieve mission objectives without alienating the population. If our political leadership was as professional as our soldiers I think things would have ended a lot differently.
I think the key difference between soldiers, leadership at home, and police: The soldiers are at risk of dying, if they piss off the locals. Our police and politicians are insulated from the consequences of stupidity and malice, so they never develop the character needed to ease tensions.
The training is not even similar, and neither are the hiring practices. I think that is the key difference.
I don’t think you are entirely wrong though. Police tend to act very differently when up against protesters who are known to be armed. That’s a big reason why concealed carry is allowed in many places when open carry isn’t. The politicians don’t want their thugs to be intimidated.
I think there’s a chance they dont pull the trigger when the order comes, or point up the chain of command. Thats kind of the only option for avoiding Really Bad here.
I dont have enough faith in them to expect any particular outcome here, but it’s in their hands. Kind of holding my breath.
The order is far from certain to come. It’s not like Trump or his buddies will be anywhere close to the action, and a general order to unnecessarily fire on civilians is not even likely to be passed down.
The order will be issued from tge top. Its already in the minds of every cop.
The question is how far down the chain it gets.
Maybe the general says ‘No.’
Maybe a captain goes off mission.
Maybe a bottom level guy pretends his gun is jammed.
And maybe if they all fail, we go from the bad timeline to the worse one