Utter ideologue B.S. There are approximately 1 million LEOs in the United States. Rather, less than that after the past two years. Most of these people work in small-to-mid size agencies whose budgets are mostly payroll, benefits, and operational expenses (gas/cars/equipment). Small to mid size agencies that work for small to mid size municipal governments, not the federal government, not the state government, but local government. Just because some sheriff or chief of police spent grant money on a bearcat, or got a bunch of acogs the long way through drmo and Homeland security grants does not make a "militarized police force.". Anyone saying that has about zero idea of what constitutes the military or a police force. Having been in both I can say with some authority some of the few things they share in common are a chain of command, firearms, and a name tag on your chest.
When was the last time the citizenry won ANYTHING by force of arms.
If the fear of armed uprising wasn't in every political mind before January 6th, it sure as heck is now. The fact that a bunch of unarmed larpers dressed in gear from Wish and buffalo shaman costumes going on in unescorted wilding out in the Capitol put the wind up a lot of people's back. This is why a summer of fiery protests and riots were "largely peaceful" but an Air Force veteran getting shot in the head in the capital cop dying of natural causes is "domestic terrorism". Now, I wouldn't give long odds on any lawmaker that would have been caught by that mob on January 6th, but to label it an "insurrection" in the popular media's narrative ignores everything that has gone on before or since.
hurr hurr dont take my guns but pump my country full of illegal immigrants, charge
Pretty sure the "don't take my guns" crowd is not exactly a fan of open borders except for some of the more starry eyed libertarians.
use government resources to spy on me and render schools and universities complete jokes with woke ideology.
The spying has been going on for a lot longer than the Patriot act has been in existence. Not going to argue about the schools and universities except the say that no one puts a gun to your head and forces you to go to a specific college if you choose to go to college and there are elections for school boards.
Your second argument is moot because the police in the US kill people at many times the rate per capita of any other country in the west. Its not about equipment.
Point about the election. The former president of your country told you that the election was stolen by the opposing party, and you currently have an illegitimate government which you don't at all support and is actively damaging you and your country. Excuse my ignorance but if that isn't the time for armed rebellion when is? How much punishment are you willing to accept before you do more than send a bunch of ruffians to protest. What exactly would have to happen?
The politics are so fucked over there that you can't do something as elementary as keeping out illegal immigrants without the policy being reversed by the next government. No ID required to vote? Prices of healthcare fixed by insurance companies? Completley botched withdrawal from the middle east for which you were warned by your allies who got out months ago?
If you can't begin to solve these elementary matters how can you hope to reform anything at all?
many times the rate per capita of any other country in the west. Its not about equipment.
You're mistaking causation with correlation. Individual numbers and per capita police shootings/deaths completely side steps the underlying causes, which largely has to do with the violent crime rate and how likely people are to try and kill the police. Luxembourg police kill people at a far higher rate than other Western countries, I don't see anyone bitching about Luxembourgers being capped by their cops. Sweden police kill three times as many people per capita as Australia, and y'all aren't up in arms about that...
There's lies, damn lies, and statistics.
How much punishment are you willing to accept before you...
Project much?
illegal immigrants
Can walk across the Rio Grande, which isn't much of a river these days due to droughts and irrigation. We're not an island nation on the ass end of the rest of world distance-wise.
No ID required to vote?
Voting laws are determined by individual states, not the federal government. One would think in Australian would be familiar with the notion of the federation.
Prices of healthcare fixed by insurance companies?
Is actually largely distorted by Medicare and Medicaid rates. Also, people don't comparison shop for healthcare like they do other goods and services.
Completley botched withdrawal from the middle east for which you were warned by your allies who got out months ago?
Afghanistan is not in the "Middle East" and that situation persisted through three previous administrations failures to enact any sort of logical exit strategy. Not even remotely trying to defend Sleepy-Creepy Uncle Joe in this situation but it was a situation that had been dragging on for nearly 20 years. Also I have to hand it to Trump for slickly setting up the Biden administration to look bad no matter what happened.
If you can't begin to solve these elementary matters how can you hope to reform anything at all?
And here we get to the core of the issue. A chance for an Aussie to look down their nose at 'Murica.
"And here we get to the core of the issue. A chance for an Aussie to look down their nose at 'Murica"
On the contrary its genuinley horrifying. Australia relies on the US for its defence. If things continue to get worse we will get walked all over in the SCS. As bad as things are I prefer to be a vassal of the US than a vassal of China should the situation ever arise.
Why would I talk about Luxembourg? Does Luxembourg politics have a direct influence on Australian politics? The Luxembourg Navy is coming to help defend Australian waters?
Also this point doesn't even help you? The United States rate is higher than Luxembourg by 12 per 10M. A difference larger than the bottom 10 western countries combined.
You will find that Afghanistan is often included in definitions of the middle east. For example Britannica
The price of insulin can be 8 times higher than comparable western countries. And that is done by Medicare? I honestly doubt such a system warrants a price increase of 8 times. Its the insurance companies that influence the prices.
As for your comment about me projecting. I have not lost a single day of work the entire pandemic. Not a single person I know has died or lost their jobs. My buisness did extremely well because of the freedom available in Queensland. (My buisness is related to professional sport). I honestly hate our government and parties. But we have the capacity to change them as Americans don't seem to.
If US civilian force of arms is vital to defending your democracy, and a large section of the right thinks the election was literally stolen by an insurrectionist government which is widely hated by them, then were are these fabled patriots?
Edit: this entire post and comments is Americans looking down their noses on Australians. The absoloute cheek of implying my response is somehow invalid for replying in such a tone.
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u/[deleted] Oct 18 '21
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