[hollandheese]

The police (FBI and ICE included) are never your friends. They work to protect the rich and powerful and not us.

[cucumber3732842]

They work to protect the government. Now, for peasants there isn't much of a distinction, but the rich and powerful would do well to remember it.

[Analemma_]

Cynical responses like this are meant to make the speaker sound smart, but actually what you're doing is making further tyranny more likely, because you're deliberately overlooking that-- whatever the existing problems with the FBI-- there is a significant difference between their behavior now and their behavior before.

Not even bothering to run the established investigation playbook when law enforcement kills a civilian is a major departure, and one worth noticing. But if all you do is go "same old same old", then you can safely lean back in your chair and do nothing as the problem worsens, while calling yourself so much smarter and more insightful than the people around you.

[Cornbilly]

I would disagree to a certain extent. "Law enforcement is not your friend" is a good mindset as a citizen. You should never hand them information without a lawyer and you should always push for oversight.

I agree that the "same at it ever was and always will be" attitude isn't great. It's defeatist and I choose not to live my life that way, even if it would be much easier mentally.

I think part of the reason I see this attitude so often is that, especially since 9/11, a large portion of the US population has decided that the police and military are infallible and should be trusted completely, so any large-scale attempt at reform runs into these unwavering supporters (and, in the case of the police, their unions).

[SauciestGNU]

Furthermore, going back as far as I remember, if you take part in a protest the police personally disagree with they will use violence against you regardless of your occupation.

[baq]

Nothing cynical, that’s just the truth. They’re called law enforcement for a reason, not emergency hugs.

Whether they behave like civilized people or like thugs should be besides the point regardless of your political leaning in the matter of the system. Naturally from a basic human perspective civilized law enforcement is much more preferable than the alternative, but they aren’t your friends!

[krapp]

The only significant difference is that law enforcement is treating white people the way they've always treated everyone else. Which is a difference in degree, but not character.

[cess11]

By before, what do you mean? COINTELPRO?

[throwaway-11-1]

cmon man seriously?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93King_letter?wprov=...

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/newb...

[asdfman123]

Software engineers are definitely among the class of people protected by the police

[throwawaygmbno]

Depends on the race of the engineer. If you're gay or live in a blue city/state then you also lose your protection

[tehjoker]

It’s conditional on whether you are affirming the opinions of your employer or oppositional

[platevoltage]

I'll be sure to bring my mechanical keyboard and secondary vertical monitor out in public so they'll know I'm one of the good ones.

[smrtinsert]

There is no protected class from malevolent government. Everyone from oligarchs down to the have nots can be targets. Let's not keep relearning that lesson.

[wahnfrieden]

Engineers are just workers