If you haven’t heard, the neighborhood of Tottenham in London erupted in riots yesterday. It was sparked, as these things so often are, by police officers killing a local. This problem, the problem of giving a tiny fraction of the underclass a badge and a gun and some power and turning them loose on the populace, is so old there is a phrase for it in Latin- Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Or who guards the guardians?

It helps if you think of the police* as serving the same function that the Tea Party does. While the rhetoric may be all “patriotism, protection, freedom and justice” the result it generally more “kill the poor, rape the women, keep property in the hands of the wealthy”.

*Sure, there are some police officers who aren’t rage-aholic little dictators with batons. Some. But the psychology of the group as a whole often mitigates the best intentions of the few.