Have you ever pondered the idea that Australia is one day going to be a place akin to that of a highly corrupt second or third world country?
For background consideration, take in to account:
- The popularity of such shows as Underbelly and such characters as 'Chopper'
- The prestige of having convict bloodstock
- Crime being cool and glamourised by such things as music, movies and video games
- The constant findings of the actual police themselves involved in crime (whether this is for financial reasons, lack of respect for police (their own uniform) or because they know that criminality is more powerful than the police is unknown to me)
Now, consider the type of people who would be able to survive or thrive in the dangerous land of the criminal underworld, on the more extreme scale (forget the kids who steal phones from a guy walking home from the train station). They would be expected to be more than capable of looking after themselves. They would be considerably tougher than your average person, in the sense that they are less likely to show fear or even be scared in situations that would cause many other people to get nervous or edgy. And so it goes on.
Now consider the emasculation of society. These days we are taught to walk away from a fight (and the bigger man does so, apparently), that men and women are completely equal, on all levels - we could go on for days on that topic.
Now factor that in to the upbringing of someone.
A person who opposes the way they are 'supposed' to be by the unnatural conditions society wishes to see them live by and lives their lives completely natural, say your average young man or adolescent, and will stand up for himself, will not be afraid to throw a punch (and not feel ashamed for doing so), and will not hesitate to call a spade a spade is going to be conditioned to see his behaviour (and in essence his natural, unrepressed self) as being 'bad' or 'wrong', as will be reinforced to him when he gets in to trouble with low level authorities such as the education system.
This person, provided they are not a thug or a bully, would make an excellent police officer. However, due to their run ins with the system, and perhaps even the legal one at that, they are highly unlikely to become police officers (and who could blame them?).
This marginalises this type of person, who otherwise would make a fine individual, and there is nothing wrong with them, except that they are perhaps an assertive and self assured individual, and to some people this is seen as most undesirable (in perhaps that despotic way of desiring domination, power and control over many people, which is so common and prevalent everywhere you look) and something that needs to be stopped to make themselves feel more self assured.
Quite clearly, even if not completely a broken individual, this person is going to be resentful with most systems of authority, and a marginalised person in society, due to their being looked at as a bad person, and someone to stay away from. Consider when you were younger and your parents telling you to stay away from the naughty kids (at 5 or 6 years old). Factor in to account the stigma associated with that act, and how it is going to make that kid feel, and how that kid is essentially written off for the rest of their lives.
They are more likely than not to then become involved in the criminal underworld, whether or not being active participants in it or just knowing people who are.
These 'tough' (though perhaps a more apt term is 'man') people would make ideal police officers.
A lot of people say that police are tough, and indeed they appear so, it might be the way they are trained, you wouldn't want the police force appearing weak to the public, however I don't think a lot of police are tough. It's not hard to get in to a state of mind of feeling bulletproof and invincible when you carry a gun, baton, handcuffs, pepper spray, are trained in the use of all, and are allowed to arrest people, and typically deal with people who aren't 'hard men'. It is interesting to notice how police act around the average person they are arresting and how they act around the heavies. Not that I've seen it much, but the police will be respectful, almost polite to the heavies, as if they know their place, compared to the average person whom they will try and walk all over, which makes me think that these types of police (of which they all are not) are clearly on a power trip, becoming more bold and brash with each abuse of power they get away with, when in reality, they would be nothing of the sort if not a police officer. If the person mentioned previously, who has been marginalised by society and had their behaviour reinforced as negative, became a police officer and never had the type of experiences where they were made to feel bad for being themselves, they would be an outstanding member of the police force and unlikely to ever power trip or, for want of a better term, be an arsehole. I think we all know that the type of person who becomes a bully is the type of person who isn't tough, and is actually extremely sensitive, albeit in a more fucked up way, where they like to inflict pain (sadists) on others to make themselves feel better, and is not an uncommon type of person in the police force, according to first hand reports I've had from reliable people.
That is all the background information. Now I will try and give my theories (which are very short) which will hopefully make more sense now you have an idea of how I think on this matter.
-Kids these days are being raised more and more by the TV, the computer and other forms of popular culture. This is established. There is an increasing lack of respect for law, order, the police and society in general. This is also established. Such things as the police loading a couple of kids in to the paddy wagon and mounting gutters and driving erratically so as to 'teach them a lesson' (they perhaps wanted to be sentencing judges, but they don't get to carry guns do they?) is not going to give these kids any respect for the cops, and when relayed to their mates their tale (which has possibly happened to others they know) is going to cause even further, widespread dislike of the police amongst that youth subset, which is going to be reinforced by the themes in media and entertainment.
-In my experience having watched these types of people grow up, they are likely to become involved with low level crime (that is only if they become involved in crime, most of them, in fact, the overwhelming majority will not), such as growing dope, drug dealing, stealing cars, armed robberies and break and enters. These kinds of people are relatively easy for the police to deal with, there isn't that associated fear with them, and what they are doing is relatively low end anyway, though it can be rather violent.
Anyway where am I going with this.....
I would say a lot of the heavies are tough, whereas a lot of police want to feel tough. Clearly a different type of animal.
Whereas heavies involved in high level crime will be dealing with such things as threats against themselves and will either become accustomed to the stress associated with such a lifestyle or will find they can't cut the mustard and will breakdown, the police hardly have to live like that. For example, if someone like that feels that someone is out to get them, and knows who it is, they might be inclined to get in first. Your average person is not like this and would be overcome by the fear. Much like a police officer, who is just an average person in uniform, completely different from these others previously mentioned, which is why perhaps there are criminal or forensic psychologists or whatever they call them.
My point is, due to a large number of phony tough police officers, who are no where near the calibre of big time criminals, they will always reach breaking point (emotionally or psychologically) before their adversaries will.
I find an example of this to be the revenge attacks after the Cronulla riots. The police knew of the convoy of males of middle eastern appearance whom were inbound and clearly on a mission of vengeance, yet did nothing, and apparently were instructed to do nothing. Clearly they have become ruled by fear in this circumstance, against people whom I wouldn't consider the true tough, but more closely aligned to being violent thugs in a group. Nothing compared to a real fearless person, as opposed to a show no fear person.
All this points to the eventual total takeover of this country by violent subversive groups
perhaps acting only in their own self interests, due to the fact that they often are not phony tough, and will have the mental edge over their opponents, that being the police force, whom cannot psychologically stomach coming face to face or confronting them in any way, shape or form.
What ever happened to the tough copper? They are a rare breed these days, replaced by the officer who is tough until presented with someone who has done something more serious than 80 in a 60 zone.
The calibre of police officer these days, is for the most part, too soft to be able to deal with anything more serious than a bar room brawl or teenagers spraypainting an alleyway.
And it clearly shows. Give it time. The corruption is already showing and spilling out of the cracks, however, unlike in days past where the police were still respected by the bulk of society, they have an ever less amount of trust and respect in the community at large, and when organised crime surfaces to be more public and accepted than it presently is, the police will be left almost powerless to move against them (due to their own corruption) and will have a distinct lack of respect from the rest of society.
What are your thoughts? I am most certain I was unable to properly convey what it was I was thinking.
