Watching the news w Pynchon yet, able to breathe, luckily.

[David Morris]

Militarization of police is allowed/encouraged when fear levels are
high: the "Other," threatens invasion, destruction, disease and decay,
Death.  Leave aside the role of an agitator, propagandist in this
discussion for now.  Universal existential anxiety is humanity's scourge,
that and getting the next meal.

In the US, racism is inescapable, especially towards blacks. Large black
men, strapping field hands have now become perceived as human-weapons by
their mere presence, and can be justifiably shot because of the fear they
provoke in a cop.  The subtext is that if you were in that cop's shoes,
you'd shit yourself.

Riots are not the cause of this shit.  Tribalism is alive and well in our
present USA.  There is a Money Tribe that wants to hold on too. Fear is the
uniting force of tribalism, embodied in some form of shared
identity/interest at risk from an "Other's" ascendancy.

David Morris

On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

> we have read Pynchon's essay on the mind of Watts.
>
>  I Repeat that Radney Balko's The Militarization of the Police
> traced the start of SWAT teams to the LAPD as an organizational response
> To those riots.
>
> for 40+ years, and esp since 9/11, the police departments all over the
> United States
> Have militarized themselves, prepared for " riots" instead of " freedom of
> assembly",  have allowed o'er the top Jacobean-like revengeful anger to
> build
> And build until: The Bigfoot cops can choke, gang-up on, beat and shoot at
> will.
>
> TRP did know exactly when the cops turned. Inherent Vice.
>
> Sent from my iPad-
> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>
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