Worse Bandits
“Worse bandits” he allegedly replied. This was no joke. Though he had conquered and occupied Spain Napoleon never was able to subdue and neutralize the bandit groups, militia, rebels, irregulars, outlaws whatever you want to call them, who controlled most of the country. They were terrifying savages to the hardest French troops, rumoured to fight to the death even using their teeth. The art of dealing with bad people, wrongdoers and lawbreakers was to employ and equip men more immoral and savage than the evildoers themselves. Sad that it actually makes sense.
This “final solution” didn’t begin with Napoleon in Spain by a long shot. Perhaps the great unrecognized catalyst to the American Revolution was the in-your-face Quartering Act, whereby the colonists were required to provide housing and board, by whatever means, to the occupying British soldiers who were enforcing thru military intimidation the repugnant dictates of England on the Americans. The inns and boarding houses across the colonies were home to British soldiers. This obnoxious presence forced upon “the people” was fact of daily life. It is barely remembered but was clearly on the minds of the Founding Fathers as expressed in the 3rd Amendment.
“Worse bandits” are very much an economic/class phenomenon. Soldiers and police are lower working-class people who can reach a vaunted status by lording over theirs peers in the war and violence business. And the wealthy class needn’t get their hands dirty or bother with proletariat at all; they’re the bandits and the worse bandits. It’s a fact of history.
In 2021, in America, this mercenary army, the worse bandits, the occupying military quartered among us, paid and equipped by us, to keep order are called the local police. They’re the “worse bandits” Napoleon was talking about. And Americans give them all the guns and ammo they want, the badge, and even military combat weapons and equipment to “police” the unarmed population. This should not be on the menu of a civilized nation.
Perhaps the greatest irony of poor-punishing-poor, if not funny, was the American Old West where numerous famous lawmen were in fact notorious outlaws as well. Both personalities were pretty bad human beings as human beings generally go.
This “pay the police or the Spanish bandi… ahhh bogeyman will get you” policy, was employed by the Sicilian mafia and became known as the protection rackets. And in another, not so funny twist, many were arrested and sent to prison for loansharking, or lending money at exorbitant interest rates; Visa card rates… How far we have come! LOL!
Since the advent of the mobile camera phone and social media, this war, poor people VS poor people, has been defined by videos of racist police brutality white cop armed thug on black person. Of course this was much more widespread and worse in earlier decades. But now that we know and there’s a new video every day (dozens?) what do we do?
Well the solution like most on big issues, is surprisingly simple. It’s called contract law.
All policemen, from the FBI to East Podunk PD sign a contract with the employing gov’t agency. All contracts, for every cop in America, are called in for review. And a new standard national police contract is issued throughout. This contract calls for a personal history review, as well at mental fitness and physical fitness. Those who don’t pass muster are done. So if you’re some ex-GI Nazi with a 100 Aryan friends and a FB page, you’re not gonna get to be a cop. That’s it. If you are accepted and sign you are still subject to review at any time. Bad apples, their enablers and associates would be immediately removed from the authority of law, gun and badge. The violent attacks and discrimination against innocent unarmed citizens by the police would plummet. And all would be well in the world once again.