Pass in Review

by Moises Saman for the NYT

The history of totalitarian regimes is reflected
in the evolution and perfection of the instruments of terror
and more especially the police
--Carl J. Friedrich
_______________

Or, "Piss in My Shoe," our little inside joke when practicing for "Pass in Review".

"Declare Victory and Leave Iraq" covers a lot of ground which Ranger has been traversing since Day 1. The article covers the memos of Colonel Tomothy Reese, a senior American military adviser in Baghdad, who suggests it is time for the U.S. military to leave Iraq. The article speaks for itself, but the photo of Iraq police parading through Baquba accompanying the article deserves comment.

Look at the formations -- these are not police, they are assault troops, pure and simple. Is this our vision and hope for a democratic Iraq?

If so, we have missed the mark, because historically militarized police are part and parcel of authoritarian governments. Was this our gift of freedom to Iraq, our vision for a democratic future? How does this vision differ from that of Saddam Hussein, Iran, North Korea, or the governments of any other despot that we disdain?

Our tax dollars are equipping, training and employing questionable organizations and are doing so in our name. It is time to stop this corruption of liberal philosophy.

How would you feel if your local police force was trained equipped and organized as these Baquba police are? This is not an Iraqi issue, but rather an American one. Why have we imposed this type of policing upon another country we claim to be leading in our image? This is not democracy.

Ranger's Rule: Police forces enforce civilian law and protect and serve the citizenry of a nation. They respect the life of both criminals and law-abiding members of society. Militarizing police forces negates this philosophy.