Militarism Comes Home to Roost

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Every technology, every weapon, originally designed for use against foreign "enemies" sooner or later comes home to be used against our own people. Witness, for example, drones, the NSA's spying programs, and the militarization of local police forces with automatic rifles, body armor, and armored personnel carriers. What is worse is that the same attitude -- that of an invading, occupying army -- also comes home. And so, today, the police in communities all across America whom we used to regard as friends and protectors, are now seen by large swaths of society as invaders and occupiers. Violence is a disease that begets violence. Strict non-violence is the cure.