The data below show that linear metaphors don’t work when it comes to militarism. Violence abroad always circles back. Comparing US troop levels in Iraq to US combat gear sent to police: www.stephensemler.com/p/will-weapo... - ThreadSky

stephensemler.bsky.social • 85 days ago

The data below show that linear metaphors don’t work when it comes to militarism. Violence abroad always circles back.

Comparing US troop levels in Iraq to US combat gear sent to police:
https://www.stephensemler.com/p/will-weapons-from-afghanistan-end

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docblues.bsky.social•85 days ago

The Army-Navy Surplus store used to sell knives, canteens, and pup tents.
Now it’s assault rifles, ammo, and armored vehicles.
So it goes.

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

To control for the effect of the Iraq war, you can isolate MRAPs, which were designed specifically for that theatre.
https://www.stephensemler.com/p/bringing-the-war-home-through-the

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

This is an MRAP, looking just a *bit* out of place in a neighborhood. Something we can bond over with our brothers and sisters in Iraq, I guess

billybo14.bsky.social•85 days ago

Scituate, MA. South coastal town nearby me. Pop. 19,237. Avg. home price $932,000
Apparently has a problem with IEDs and land mines

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

The Pentagon started the MRAP acquisition program in 2007 after roadside bombs—known as improvised explosive devices—had become the leading cause of death among US troops in Iraq.

NB: the correct acronym for this type of bomb is IED, as GQ editors learned in this teachable moment from 2019:

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

The development of the MRAP was a technical solution to a political problem. If US leaders were interested in solving the political problem, they’d look at what the IEDs meant. And what the presence of IEDs indicated was that the US invasion/occupation of Iraq was the problem.

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

First, IEDs signified an insurgency, which started because of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Second, the rise in IED incident rates from 2003 to 2007 was evidence that the insurgency was gaining strength in response to US counterinsurgency efforts.

https://www.stephensemler.com/p/bringing-the-war-home-through-the

stephensemler.bsky.social•85 days ago

IED prevalence was a barometer for how badly the Iraq war was going to shit. As attacks intensified, so did public opposition to the war https://jacobin.com/2023/04/the-cataclysmic-iraq-war-in-6-charts

Yet another reason why linear metaphors for militarism don’t work—developments in the global south can dictate politics in the north.

aldercheems.bsky.social•85 days ago

My hometown's (~16k people) PD had brand new MRAP's in 2008 when my active duty army unit was still driving rag top 998 humvees in Iraq.

thinker9.bsky.social•85 days ago

Defunding the police is getting a new definition. Cutting the lethal force it gets from the federal government.

scruffycities.bsky.social•85 days ago

Seems like a good place to repost this old @patrickwyman.bsky.social piece: https://patrickwyman.substack.com/p/imperial-wars-always-come-home

polyparadigm.bsky.social•85 days ago

The silver lining is that much of the military gear wasn’t retained by police (who commit about 15% of recorded violence) but was sold to street gangs, who tend to enforce order locally and mostly shoot into the air

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