Reading The Pictures: Let's Unroll

"You always hope that you don't have to use it, but this is becoming a fact of life," SWAT commander Lt. Joel Preston said.

Take a look at the Cobb County, Georgia police department's latest toy. Donated by the military, the Armored Personnel Carrier -- used by the U.S. Army in Panama -- holds up to nine SWAT commandos. Retailing for $500K, Cobb dropped another $45,000 to tailor it for police use. It can hit speeds up to 60 m.p.h. and has thermal sensors, computerized tracking, night vision, tear gas launchers and more.

Beyond the show room details, this stands as a visual evidence of the disaster capitalism and terror war culture we now must reverse.

slideshow: Cobb police get heavy armor (ajc.com)

For more visual politics, visit BAGnewsNotes.com (and BAGnewsNotes @Twitter).

(image: Bob Andres/AJC)

Comments

[Michale32086]

@JohnDewey

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That is a tank - a war machine. The purpose of tanks, siege engines, catapults, trebuchets, what-have-you, is not now nor has it ever been for saving lives. At best, the armaments of the state are intended for preservation of property.

War machines are designed to end lives - no amount of patriotic gloss can alter that fact.
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No offense, but you are really showing your ignorance..

Don't be insulted..

"There is no dishonor in not knowing everything."
-Subcommander T'al, STAR TREK, The Enterprise Incident

This is an APC. An Armored Personnel Carrier. It is STRICTLY a defensive device and has NO offensive capabilities save the "offensive" capabilities that any vehicle would have.

It's no more a "tank" than a Brinks Armored Car is a "tank".

Michale.....

[WilliamProc]

COOL!

The Georgia PD got themselves a new SUV! Kidding aside, our PD in Cahrlotte got one a few months ago. BIG waste of tax money because terrorists don't CARE about Charlotte,NC! And the police SWAT unit has used the thing twice this year, just for transport. No bullets flying, no explosions, it was just for a show of force. Not to mention that with gas prices fluctuating to and fro, its hard to justify a contraption like this.

[Michale32086]

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Not to mention that with gas prices fluctuating to and fro, its hard to justify a contraption like this.
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If it saves just one life, I consider that justification enough.

Don't you??

Michale.....

[JohnDewey]

That is a tank - a war machine. The purpose of tanks, siege engines, catapults, trebuchets, what-have-you, is not now nor has it ever been for saving lives. At best, the armaments of the state are intended for preservation of property.

War machines are designed to end lives - no amount of patriotic gloss can alter that fact.

[wndrwrthg]

Given that the civilian population has better arms than most police departments, there are situations in which this type of vehicle would prove useful. The botched robbery of a Bof A branch in the L.A. area is proof positive that it is becoming necessary for departments to have equipment to counter.

[Michale32086]

Exactly!

Finally, someone who gets it...

None of these other posters have been able to come up with one logical or rational reason why APC=Police State...

Michale.....

[wndrwrthg]

The only arguement that I could make without having proof otherwise, would be that humans abuse power. Thus increased vigilance by the public would be both warrented and prudent.

[oldGunny]

There has been cases of the military using their armored personnel carriers to assist police SWAT teams in moving closer to a criminal in barricade situations.
I do not see any weapons mounted on the vehicle, so other that tear gas, the major danger to americans from this would be if they got ran over by it.

These vehicles are bullet proof and will save lives of law enforcement officers.

[Pdubya]

i'm sure NorthCom will appreciate the local authorities being trained with such vehicles.

are you on the red list or blue list?

i think most here are on the yellow list.

[SpoxLogic]

The past twenty years has seen the police become more paramilitary. Unless they are expecting waves of outside terrorists to start attacking, the only reason for this is they expect to use it against the very citizens of the United States.

It will be interesting to see if by electing Obama as POTUS, we've slowed the momentum to that fateful day. For my two cents, I think we would have seen such a continuing erosion of our rights under a Pres McCain that would've caused the people to want to rise up and thereby unleashing this paramilitary in all its glory.

[Michale32086]

@JohnFromCensornati

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Yeah, and Iraq and Gitmo and monitoring phone calls and suspending habeas corpus and etc all "save lives". Whatever.
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Exactly..

I am glad to see you are finally understanding.

Considering Obama's stance on FISA and a Civilian National Security Force, I am surprised you have a problem with these things..

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

Exactly what does Obama have to do with me? Do you think everyone follows him like lemmings?

[Michale32086]

Well, yea... Pretty much..

Glad to see that you are different..

But, since our President Elect seems to think that way, shouldn't you at least CONSIDER the possibility that he is right and you are wrong...

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

As for there being no chance of terrorism in Georgia..

Atlanta 1996

'nuff said...

Michale....

[JohnFromCensornati]

LOL. Now you're talking home grown "terrorists". Exactly what I said. This would be used against Americans, not that it would have had any effect on the 1996 incident you cite had they had a tank. For all I know, they may have already had the "Peacemaker" at that time.

Your definition of terrorism is so broad that it allows for the perpetual war that I'm sure you want. Everyone everywhere is in danger of being blown up at all times under your definition, Big Brother.

[Michale32086]

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LOL. Now you're talking home grown "terrorists". Exactly what I said. This would be used against Americans,
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A terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist.. It doesn't matter if they are "home grown" or not. A "home grown" terrorist is just as much as an animal as a "foreign born" terrorist and deserves NO CONSIDERATION...

In other words, whether it's Rudolph or Bin Laden, McVeigh or Waziri, a terrorist is a terrorist is a terrorist..

Any American who becomes a terrorist gives up any and ALL consideration that their citizenship would normally entail.

Do you honestly and truly have a problem with this military gear being used against terrorists?? Regardless of their nationality??

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For all I know, they may have already had the "Peacemaker" at that time
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Yes they did. And, for the record, it's a Peacekeeper APC..

But my point was simply to address your incorrect prognostication that Georgia would never see a terrorist incident. It already has. It could very well again....

And again, I will ask you. Would you prefer that police and first responders properly equip themselves AFTER a devastating terrorist attack??

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Your definition of terrorism is so broad
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Actually, my definition of terrorism is quite specific..

Terrorism is defined as ongoing and systematic attacks of violence specifically targeted against innocent civilian persons or property for the purpose of furthering a political, economical or ideological agenda.

As I said. VERY specific..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

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No, the government of GA isn't recycling anything. They bought something.
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"Donated by the military, the Armored Personnel Carrier"

Nothing was bought..

The State Of Georgia and the US Military simply recycled..

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't recycling a GOOD thing???

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

$45,000 to refurbish this tank is not buying for something? Refurbishing the "old" tank they already have is not buying something? Now they have two tanks...and no terrorists.

Your idea of "recycling" is definitely a GOOD thing for weapons producers.

[Michale32086]

My point is, they article is misleading..

Cobb Co did not "drop" $500K for the vehicle. It was donated.

The $50K to make it suitable for civilian use is a mere drop in the bucket when one considers the annual budget for police agencies...

Secondly, it's not a Tank. It's an APC...

You see, that's one of the problems with the hysterical Left. They decry all the Fear-Mongering from the hysterical Right, yet they have NO PROBLEM using the same tactic when it suits their purposes..

As for "no terrorists"...

Would you prefer to wait til AFTER a terrorist attack?? After hundreds or perhaps THOUSANDS of innocent men women and children, your fellow citizens, to be killed before police agencies equip themselves accordingly??

Is THAT what you are advocating???

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@JohnFromCensornati

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Please cite your evidence that buying this thing will save lives.
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Nearly a quarter century in the field..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

President Elect Obama said that on 2 Oct 2008..

Do you agree with him??

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@JohnFromCensornati

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I obviously do not agree with you.
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Obviously..

OK, let's see if we can find some common ground.

Are we agreed that the threat of terrorism is real??

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

Terrorism is NOT a big threat in GA. Going broke building a police state is.

[Michale32086]

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Terrorism is NOT a big threat in GA
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Please cite your evidence that supports such a conclusion.

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Going broke building a police state is.
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As I posted before, this type of recycling actually SAVES money... So your assertion of "going broke" is unfounded.

You are letting your emotionalism cloud your judgment..

No matter how you slice it, this recycling of military hardware for civilian LEO use is a win situation all the way around..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@JohnFromCensornati

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It's not going to save any lives and it's not going to be used againsts terrorists. It's going to be used against the citizens of GA.
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"And you can PROVE that, right???Oh yea, that's right... I forgot.. You were absent the day they taught Law at Law School..."
-Tom Cruise, A FEW GOOD MEN

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

I can prove my statement just as well as you can prove yours.

[Michale32086]

Besides, the military routinely donates weapons and such to police agencies..

This SAVES the police taxpayer money...

Again, why could ANYONE have a problem with this??

Saves lives.... Saves money....

It seems to me to be a no-brainer..

Michale....

[jealousmonk]

WTF? What has happened here? The army "donated" it? Why? We're borrowing to give the army $500 billion per year, plus the cost of two wars, so the army can "donate" crap like this to our cities? WTF? Things are really f..cked up. How do we fix this? WTF?

[Michale32086]

"Crap" like that can be used to save lives..

I am shocked that ANYONE would have a problem with this..

Michale.....

[JohnFromCensornati]

And nobody that has ever read your posts is shocked to hear that you would spend half a million dollars in taxpayer money on more police state "crap".