Monday, 26 September 2011

The Economic Impact of the Police

The amount of power given to a select few in our society is a scary thought.  The police force is in place to 'serve and protect', but most of the time the police force does more harm than good.  In the economic sector, for example, the police responding to a crime costs more than the crime in question.  The economist Michael Parenti once said :

"I could demonstrate to you that every single bank robbery..., the cost of the police was more than the money that the robbers actually took from the bank.  Does that mean..., theres no real economic intrest involved, theyre not protecting the banks...  Of course its an economic system.  If they didnt stop that one bank robbery, regardless of the cost, this could jeopardize the entire banking system.  There are people that believe the function of the police is to fight crime.  That is not true.  The function of the police is social control, and the protection of property."

- Michael Parenti
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous1 October 2011 at 08:31

    I agree that there are flaws within the law enforcement system, but I also respect the need for it in any given society. Governments pass laws and need some sort of authority to provide legitimacy to those laws. Otherwise, it would be total chaos. For me, the presence of the police has a higher influence on me than the actions they actually undertake. For instance, while I drive down the highway I am always conscious of a possible speed trap. The police have a "panoptic control" over us that is invaluable.

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