<\/p>\n
Eric Peters<\/strong> Ever wonder how come there are men (and women) in costumes \u201cpolicing\u201d the rest of us?<\/p>\n Most people accept this relationship as both given \u2014 and eternal. That there have always<\/em> been men (if not always women) in costumes \u201cpolicing\u201d the rest of us. But, in fact, it\u2019s a relatively novel thing. Think back to your schooldays. Do you recall any mention of police<\/em> when you were learning about the colonial era and the American Revolution? There were sheriffs, yes \u2014 and the local militia. But these were concerned mostly with keeping the peace \u2014 that is, stepping in when someone harmed someone else. Up to and even during the Civil War \u2014 a titanic struggle between the fading remnants of the old republican idea and the centralized, omnipotent state that took its place \u2014 the idea of police<\/em> as we know it was essentially unknown.<\/p>\n It is a modern concept \u2014 one developed out of the company town<\/em> idea.<\/p>\n You may or may not recall the company town. It is a place \u2014 once upon a time, a very real place \u2014 in which the company not only employs nearly everyone but also controls nearly everyone. During work hours and \u2014 most relevant in terms of the discussion at hand \u2014 the rest of the time, too. This is achieved by paying the workers not in specie, but in \u201cscript\u201d or tin coinage or some other form of fiat currency issued by the company \u2014 and good at the company stores in the company town where all the company workers live. Even the worker\u2019s homes are company homes. In the company town, everything you did was the company\u2019s business. And to keep it all nicely organized, there were company police<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n <!– <\/p>\n –><\/p>\n This article was posted: Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 7:27 am<\/p>\n Tags: domestic news<\/a>, police state<\/a><\/p>\n
ericpetersautos.com<\/a>
May 25, 2013<\/p>\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n
\n
<!– this is where we need to show the related articles <\/p>\n