Protests, as I stated more than once, have their own force. It can be a sharp devastating physically destructive force, or it can be a long cumulative one, the kind of force that changes things.
Usually, it is a combination of both.
Among things that people want to change, there are doable and not doable ones, and of course, there are good and not so good wishes for particular changes.
Do not forget that protests even if they have a righteous cause can turn to something different, like looting and violence. It’s the same way that the cumulative force of it can over time turn to something different, something wrong.
Why can it turn in that way? Well, there are usually two reasons:
- Folks who are demanding changes actually do not have enough consistency and knowledge to articulate their wishes or demands, so in the end, it turns out to be nothing.
- Folks who want change, over time are being manipulated by someone so they are pushing for the change that they only think is good or righteous, or they push it for someone else’s agenda, unknowingly.
And we’re watching this now.
Defunding the police
There is no system in the world that does not get into “reform the police” discussions and demands after some events. It is natural. But when so many emotions and force got behind demands like that, then it counts. It needs to be addressed.
The problem here might be that some of the news that can be found out there about the nature of reform (how some people see it) that what is wished has got a weird, almost eerie feeling.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) said last week that he would reverse his plan to boost spending for the Los Angeles Police Department by instead redirecting $250 million from across the city’s budget toward programs for health care, jobs and “peace centers.” As much as $150 million would come from the police department, officials said. The police union there called him “unstable” after the announcement, while leaders of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles called for deeper cuts and “transformative” change, adding they could not be “bought off with just this minimal amount of money.” (source)
Setting the story like it is better to redirect money from PD to “health care, jobs and peace centers” has its own sense of being logical because what could be better than health care, jobs, and peace centers?
But the real problem is what do you actually get by “de-funding” the police? Probably in reality you’ll get more instability and insecurity, so, in essence, there is no sense in that plan.
There are some statements about de-funding police (I admit, they are so outrageous I am not even sure they are real) that sounds more like they are coming from Utopia, not a real society. There are even some things there which are similar to communism, where levers of controlling might get into the hands of people who will use it for absolute control.
In a wish to control something too much, you might very soon find yourself in a situation where there is simply too much control over everything, including your own life, and all aspects of it.
Plans for police reform that will include something where kinda social workers will do the job of police sounds great, but it is Utopia, not a real thing. Those are maybe good wishes but they’re based on not judging the reality around you.
It is dangerous. You are opening the door for more insecurity and probable chaos in an already troubling situation.
Who is behind it?
There is always somebody behind the scenes, and no, it is not a conspiracy theory. It is real life. It is how real life works. The media is always pushing a message.
A good and decent cause or movement, or a wish for change can be hijacked in this way. Then from the outside, it seems like it is still what it was. But from the inside – or behind the scenes – it becomes a movement to push some other things or plans through. There is always someone who benefits from this.
Common folks usually realize, as I always keep saying, years after that they were following something that was twisted or perverted from the good initial goal.
Sometimes you fight for freedom, but actually you are helping an individual to get rich. Other times you keep the cardboard sign with the noble message but behind the scenes, you are pushing someone’s secret agenda, whether you know it or not.
Yes, sometimes you do the best you can, and meanwhile, those who pull strings do what benefits them. It is life.
How this relates to prepping
I love to say that survival is the ability to think (and plan) several steps ahead, or very simplified, often it is enough just to be able to think ahead of the majority of the other people around you.
So what makes sense here from a survival point of view is just good old “who gets what from this” and acting according to that.
What would your world look like if things continue to go in this direction? What does that mean for you in terms of prepping? What you can change (adapt) based on that?
Think in those terms, because usually big changes you can not affect on your own individual level. But you can adapt to it, preferably before most of the other people realize what that change might bring.
What do you think?
What are your thoughts on defunding police departments? Do you think it is a good idea or a bad one? Who do you think benefits from this? Discuss it in the comments.
About Selco:
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution.
In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today. He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless of what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations as Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.
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Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.