You call that "militarizing"? Shit.

My sheriff has a tank. A real tank. He uses it in the "War on Drugs". Or something.

http://njtoaz.smugmug.com/Police/Maricopa-County-Sheriff/12272935_VDtZH9/1743890101_DDTvpXz#!i=1743890101&k=DDTvpXz

That "tank" is a piece of self-propelled artillery. 155mm to be exact.

Yeah, I know, Lazarus. More precisely that "tank" is a Vietnam-War vintage M109 Howitzer. And I also know that the barrel on Sheriff Joe's "tank" is plugged, making it little more than a prop.

The point of our host's post, as I read it, was that too many of our police agencies have too much military equipment, and I happen to agree with that view. Sheriff Joe is just illustrating that point.

A big-city or state police bomb squad or SWAT unit might--might--be able to justify one of these armored vehicles, but not a small town department in rural Indiana. Military hardware should stay in military hands.

Given time, is it possible that the maintenance costs of such superfluous equipment will cut into the pay and benefits of said small town police forces personnel, budget wise, in such a deleterious fashion as to nullify their continued existence in a small town police force's inventory? Maybe?

Actually, allowing the local law to have assault weapons and all the gear is a good thing. We will know where to get it when the crash comes.
Down around my place I reckon half the local law will come over to our side bringing the keys to the armory with them.

I think DC is having second thoughts, allowing that armament into the hands of law enforcement with dubious loyalty. I read somewhere they are recalling some of it.

Police departments have become government-funded, taxpayer-supported apocalyptic survivalists, preparing for the collapse of all decent order and civilization.

Police departments have become government-funded, taxpayer-supported apocalyptic survivalists, preparing for the collapse of all decent order and civilization.

Very likely. And in that new/old Age of Survival of the Finest we will (very likely) be organized and governed by those holding the most and the biggest weapons. It will then be inaccurate to address them by their old job-titles (cruelly reminding them and us that they used to work for us). But instead for the leading current police and judiciary of today, tomorrow they will be the Lairds, the Barons. Higher State ranks (larger expanses of land will only be loosely associated) Dukes and Archdukes, Marquis, Landgrave and Counts.
Some fools will undoubtedly attempt to claim Prince or even King (or Caliph?), but that is a perilous summit to perch on.

You know they want it.

The real question is which Sheriff is doing this to potentially repel the federal government and which is doing it on behalf of the feds?

@Doug — we won't find that out until the structures of law and order collapse.

@Doug, there is no question at all.

ALL police depts are attacking people's natural rights and have been all along.

Eventually it will be open season on all tyrants and their enablers.

Any jack boots that try to come over to my side will be dispatched post haste.

I have no use for them now or in the future.
The smart ones better get out now, while they can.

Maybe after all those misfits are gone the rest of us can get on with the full time business of running our lives as we see fit.

"Maybe after all those misfits are gone the rest of us can get on with the full time business of running our lives as we see fit."

We don't have to wait. We can start by getting rid of all the lines in parking lots and doing away with stop signs and traffic lights.
I have always felt that those things were restricting my natural rights.

My uncle Louie Lozko, we all called him "Letsgo Lozko", he raised bantam chickens.
He said "Locks only keep out the honest people".