Feguson, Missouri

[Мастер]

Press coverage of the riots.

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/15/6005587/fe ... ssia-china

[Lance]

Riots my ass! There are a bunch of Jack-Booted Thugs violating the Constitutional Rights of peacefully assembling American Citizens. Those cops are disgraces to their badges.

[Мастер]

So then it is the police who are rioting.

[Enzo]

Of course. Smiling policemen entered a convenience store for coffee and a doughnut, then ransacked and destroyed the place on their way out. Then outside as they practiced their billy club swings, innocent bystanders ran in and got in the way, inadvertently getting hit in the process.

[Lance]

So then it is the police who are rioting.

No. There haven't been riots at all. At least, not in the Rodney King in LA variety. There was some violence on the fringes of the protests early on but that ceased days ago.

What I am talking about is the groups of peacefully assembled, unarmed citizens who were doing nothing wrong. A line of heavily armored police in riot gear and armored vehicles formed a line and forcibly dispersed the groups when there was no reason to do so.

Alternately, when the police dressed in shirt sleeves and mingled with the crowd there was no violent escalation at all.

[Lance]

Of course. Smiling policemen entered a convenience store for coffee and a doughnut, then ransacked and destroyed the place on their way out. Then outside as they practiced their billy club swings, innocent bystanders ran in and got in the way, inadvertently getting hit in the process.

I didn't say anything like that and you know it. I think you are placing far too much emphasis on an isolated incident that hasn't been repeated.

The police have also arrested members of the press that were simply trying to cover the events. These reporters were then released the next morning with no charges being filed.

[Arneb]

The police have also arrested members of the press that were simply trying to cover the events. These reporters were then released the next morning with no charges being filed.

Good old intimidation, Soviet-style.

And another police state method to work the crowds: When people get upset about police violence, use more police violence. Always gets you what you wanted: People smashing cars and stoning policemen to which you can point and say: Told you so.

Oh, America.

[Lance]

Good old intimidation, Soviet-style.

And another police state method to work the crowds: When people get upset about police violence, use more police violence. Always gets you what you wanted: People smashing cars and stoning policemen to which you can point and say: Told you so.

Oh, America.

Exactly!

[Мастер]

Send in the llamas!

[Heid the Ba]

Riots my ass! There are a bunch of Jack-Booted Thugs violating the Constitutional Rights of peacefully assembling American Citizens. Those cops are disgraces to their badges.

Succinct and accurate, and I say that as one ex-cop to another.

[Мастер]

Succinct and accurate, and I say that as one ex-cop to another.

Well blimey, I didn't know that!

[Heid the Ba]

Which part? I know I was a cop for four years and I'm fairly sure Lance mentioned once that he had been a cop.

[Мастер]

Which part? I know I was a cop for four years and I'm fairly sure Lance mentioned once that he had been a cop.

Was aware of LLance's time in uniform, if I knew about yours, I forgot . . .

[Heid the Ba]

I doubt I have ever mentioned it, it was a long time ago. It was also in Dumfries and rural Dumfries and Galloway so not exactly The Shield.

[Мастер]

I doubt I have ever mentioned it, it was a long time ago. It was also in Dumfries and rural Dumfries and Galloway so not exactly The Shield.

OK, "The Shield" is another thing I don't know about, and Google was not particularly helpful (unless this is a reference to a television series).

[Heid the Ba]

TV series. I should maybe have gone with The Wire.

[Мастер]

TV series. I should maybe have gone with The Wire.

Ah, OK. I thought maybe it was a rough area of London or Belfast or something like that. (And maybe in the show, it is.)

[Heid the Ba]

The show is set in a rough area of LA with corrupt and violent cops. My beats were much more bucolic, but that said I usually had no backup so if it did kick off I was often on my own.

[Lance]

Succinct and accurate, and I say that as one ex-cop to another.

Thank you!

[Мастер]

Succinct and accurate, and I say that as one ex-cop to another.

Thank you!

If the opinion of a never-cop matters, I'm with you both on this one!

[Enzo]

I didn't say anything like that and you know it

Relax, I was just trying to be facetious.

It was actually a riff on an old joke about a bar fight, in which the teller says "I crammed my chin into his fist, and threw myself on the floor..."

[Lance]

I didn't say anything like that and you know it

Relax, I was just trying to be facetious.

It was actually a riff on an old joke about a bar fight, in which the teller says "I crammed my chin into his fist, and threw myself on the floor..."

Yeah, I'm sorry. I realized I over reacted but it was already out there.

[Heid the Ba]

The economic case for rioting.

[Мастер]

The economic case for rioting.

When I saw your title, I thought, "Gary Becker is dead, probably it's by Steve Levitt?" Well, no, it wasn't, but the author does indeed refer to crusty old Gary, who had an accent that most definitely was not learned in Potsville, Pennsylvania.

[Мастер]

Advice from Chris Rock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8