Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A little more evidence of the grandstanding, profiteering, imageineering, and quasi(?)-fascist complexion of law 'enforcement' in the U.S.
Sherrif Joe Arpaio in the New Yorker.
Imagine what Adolph Hitler could have done if Goebbels had the kind of resources Arpaio's PR office has at their disposal.
While it is a tribute to our form of laws and government that the brand of abuse that Arpaio exercises isn't more prevalent or overarching, his ilk isn't the minority from what is evident in politics and enforcement these days.

3 comments:

Ruahines said...

Kia ora Adam,
Somehow I can't help but think this guy is profiteering from all this - if not now in the book, movie, political career, ad nauseum that will surely follow. Maybe he will run with Palin eh! Right wing neo cons must be loving him.
There I times I find myself struggling to understand the land I came from as I sit over on the other side of the world watching for almost 17 years now. Maybe that is why I sometimes struggle to understand myself. Kia kaha brother.
Aroha,
Robb

adam said...

That, sir, is my consistent knee-jerk reaction to such a situation. In a species which loves security and comfort as much as ours does, I'm never too surprised to find someone who can latch onto the mass imagination through the use of intimidation, fear, and promises of bread and circus.
The man is enjoying his throne, imagining himself the star that his spin doctors say he is.
There are sometimes that I don't know why I am constrained to live here, but here I am, nevertheless.
Strange psychology at work the last couple of decades since the fall of the Soviets, I fear.

Lost Coyote said...

it all makes me what to do something, I'm just not sure what...