As the governor of Missouri calls out the National Guard to finish what Ferguson's armed-for-combat police started, it's hard not to question the efficiency, or even intelligence, of this kind of paramilitary policing.
Arming police with military weaponry and outfitting them for battle is a recipe for creating violent conflict where there was none and achieves the opposite of keeping public order. Governments need to make an effort to convince citizens that they are seen as allies, not enemies. Then there will be fewer rioters and insurgencies for military or paramilitary forces to suppress.
[For more of this story, written by Leonid Bershidsky, go to http://www.bloombergview.com/a...d-police-cause-riots]
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