curve here and I think they are making a good start. But there is learning that still needs to be done.

^{Bad decisions make good stories.}

...operational experience and get them to teach. I think they're going to have to bite the bullet and realize that they need some centralization and direction. They also need to find some operational leaders who fully realize what it is that they're doing - for the folks getting arrested this has real, potentially life-long ramifications (whether they currently realize it or not) and their sacrifice needs to be as well-used as possible.

But, yeah, good start. There's potential. Glad things aren't anywhere near the need for that up here, though...

"In combat one should be very suspicious of painless moral choices. When you are confronted with a seemingly painless moral choice, the odds are that you haven't looked deeply enough." ~ Karl Marlantes

I'll start the countdown to them suddenly being accused of rape, to the discovery of child porn on their laptops, to drugs being found in their packs. Or to their permission to travel being effectively revoked afterwards.

A leaderless occupation may be much less efficient, but it must be noted that it hasn't been shut down yet. It's got weaknesses, but it instantly neutralizes some of the oppo's traditional chess moves. "Go ahead, arrest twenty or seventy or four hundred - if you think it'll make a difference." I'm watching with interest.

...variety of mundane other civil order charges that New York officers have at their disposal? I doubt it. That city in particular is a playground for coppers wanting to make creative use of code.

"In combat one should be very suspicious of painless moral choices. When you are confronted with a seemingly painless moral choice, the odds are that you haven't looked deeply enough." ~ Karl Marlantes

a simple arrest won't do it for leaders. Leaders would have to be made unsympathetic.

...or potential charismatic leadership where anything like that would be required.

"In combat one should be very suspicious of painless moral choices. When you are confronted with a seemingly painless moral choice, the odds are that you haven't looked deeply enough." ~ Karl Marlantes

but I'm a heathen.

"When you live on cash, you understand the limits of the world around which you navigate each day.
Credit leads into a desert with invisible boundaries."
- Anton Chekhov

pushed me to the breaking point.

Despicable.

I did inhale.

these videos. There is something clearly going on between the White shirt and the guy or gal that gets decked by the White shirt in the video. There is some very necessary context missing.

That being said, I have to question whether it is ever, ever appropriate for a police officer to haul off and punch someone in the face like this? I can conceive of maybe, and I stress maybe, one or two situations that would cal for this kind of behavior but only in self-defense of the officer in question. In light of what I am seeing here the officer was in no way in danger--how many other cops are in the video? And all the protesters are peaceful.

I just cannot see how this is legit behavior on the part of the white shirt. He may have been verbally provoked, or aggravated, but that does not excuse punching a hippie. Period.

^{Bad decisions make good stories.}

... like a "Fu@% You" or a spit on the part of the protester.

Senior police officers are accustomed to having all the power, and getting away with it so they will not respond professionally to a personal affront. Well trained junior officers will just shrug it away and act professionally, but not some fat desk jockey "officer" like the one involved in this case.

If Bloomberg wants to start making a difference and calming things, he will charge every officer that does stuff like this with "abuse of power" and kick them off the force and make it well known within the ranks.

http://gothamist.com/2011/10/15/nypd_alleges_protester_attempted_to.php

"In combat one should be very suspicious of painless moral choices. When you are confronted with a seemingly painless moral choice, the odds are that you haven't looked deeply enough." ~ Karl Marlantes

it adds some more context. Thanks. I'm not sure where I come down on this one. They way he burst into the screen from the left, when everyone else was pretty orderly gives me the sense that he did provoke the White Shirt in some way--nothing that would justify being punched in the face, however. But still, it does add context.

^{Bad decisions make good stories.}

...blow to the head is a particularly textbook use of force response, even if Rivera-Petri did take a poke at him. My guess is that this is more due to "Inspector less familiar with the concept that the public might take a run at him than he was 15 years ago when he wore a blue shirt" than anything.

The Inspector sure thought he was justified though - soon as he downs him and turns back from the crowd, he's reaching round back for his cuffs. May be the first time they've been used in decades...which, cynically, may also explain something.

"In combat one should be very suspicious of painless moral choices. When you are confronted with a seemingly painless moral choice, the odds are that you haven't looked deeply enough." ~ Karl Marlantes

I don't do automatic billing either. But I'm sure that eventually the banks will find a way to force you to. Already the banks and other businesses use devious ways to entice customers. For example, you can't sign up for a special discount unless you agree to automatice billing. I never bite and never will.

_{Sexual inequality is "The Mother of all Inequalities".
Liberate female sexuality and you will eliminate racism, homophobia, financial greed, and violence.}