Delusions of Grandeur or Overcompensation?

Adam L. Silverman, PhD*

Last night NY's Mayor Bloomberg, speaking at MIT in an attempt to establish NY City as the next tech hub/corridor, presented a very unique view of New York's place in the world.  As part of his address he announced that “I have my own army in the NYPD, which is the seventh biggest army in the world. I have my own State Department, much to Foggy Bottom’s annoyance. We have the United Nations in New York, and so we have an entree into the diplomatic world that Washington does not have,”.  Makes one wonder exactly who the good mayor sees when he looks in the mirror every morning.  Worse it shows the casual and cavalier nature of how we have allowed our police departments and law enforcement to become militarized.

*Adam L. Silverman is the Culture and Foreign Language Advisor at the US Army War College.  The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Army War College and/or the US Army.

Comments

[ked]

Don't all empires have self-important warlords?

[The Twisted Genius]

Maybe Letterman's constant jokes about Bloomberg's stature is getting to the mayor. I also find the militarization of law enforcement to be troubling. We don't need every cop out there thinking the 99% are the enemy needing to be captured, killed or at the very least in their place. All that GWOT money has been a curse.

[Mark Logan]

"Well, Mayor, just as soon as you are feeling rough and tough enough to host the trial of the guy who planned 9/11, let us know..."

[g. powell]

As a life-long knickerbocker, I have to say, Mr. Bloomberg has been around a little too long, and it has gotten to his head. The city has a way of doing that to people. And they learn eventually, that they are less than the City.

[William R. Cumming]

NYC undergoing rapid change from economic drive sprocket to outpost of the EUROTRASH hoping to escape justice and history. Can a gated Brazilian type city be avoided by NYC?
Perhaps but not with the thinking revealed by Bloomberg.

Although perhaps my view of the Washington DC expansion of its beltway as being development of defensive fortifications against the peasant revolt likely this century if much does not change this century, NYC also needs to review its defenses against the peasants.

Just revealed by MSM and blogs, the top 0.01% in income get 50% of all capital gains income. Wondering how much of that 0.01% live in the NYC or DC SMSA?

[Paul Escobar]

Mr. Silverman,

I'm not surprised.

Ever since 'BoardWalk Empire' premiered, Bloomberg's taken to having bad teeth, calling the chief of police "little brother", & propositioning single Irish mothers.

[R. Whitman]

As an occasional visitor (1-2 times/year) for the last half century, I find New York much more pleasant now than in the past. From a visitors point of view, keep up the good work, Bloomberg.

[Jake]

Well we have two ego maniacs. Da Mayer and the Chairman of the Joint NYPD Chiefs. Commanding Double Colonel General Raymond "Popeye" Kelly ....

So what do some of NYPDs best think? http://theerant.yuku.com/topic/46176/Bloomberg-calls-NYPD-his-own-army-during-MIT-speech

By the way, lets not forget he has his own NYCIA! Commanded by the likes of Double Super Secret Squirrel David Cohen. Who pretty much de-riskified the Agencies DO...

So my real question is...What Country really controls New York City?

[Jake]

You must visit Mid-town... The rest of the City is going to hell in a hand basket..

[Green Zone Cafe]

I went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York once.

It's a boring parade because the ranks of NYPD, Transit Police, State Police, jail guards, firefighters, court officers, sanitation officers, park rangers, are both impressive in numbers and monotonous.

NY does have a big "army." It's a great city, too.

[The beaver]

Isn't it where Turtle Bay is located after all?
United Nations

[Jake]

You bet! Its also the center of the World for NYC corporate business wise. Its the most protected part of the City!

[Fred]

That's a good excuse to shred the constitution

[J]

Speaking of increased militarization of our nation's civilian law enforcement, law enforcement militarized screw-ups gets 'another' free get-out-of-jail-card:

No charges against SWAT team that killed American hero [VIDEO]
http://rt.com/usa/news/charges-jose-guerena-swat-409/

Now the 64 dollar question, do you think our nation has entirely too many SWATs? I do. I personally think that the only ones allowed to have SWATs should be ONLY Federal DOJ/DEA/(some parts of DHS like ICE)/State Polices/Sheriffs, with all other SWATs nationwide disbanded.

And yes, that means Emperor Bloomberg's NYPDs SWAT as well as Tuscon's errant SWAT. Both have shown they have no business with adult toys.

[Fred]

The Mayor, who spent $100 million to get elected, thinks rather highly of himself. Since he's so great and influential I'm happy to tell my constitutionally elected representative (yeah, the hick from the sticks) to please stop providing federal support to NYC, since they certainly don't need any more of my money. Now if you could just keep the damned New Yorkers from vacationing here…….

[ThomasOfNY]

Bloomberg has always been an arrogant little man with delusions of grandeur and a hunger for political office and power.

[Fred]

J, J, J,

We've got to allow our SWAT teams to keep up with Al Quada:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/11/marines-dummies-ride-segways/

Surely an armor plated Segway is just what they need. What do you expect, mailing a damn court summons to a guy who's never been charged before?

[optimax]

The Defense Reauthorization Bill just passed the Senate. It had a provision that some said (ACLU) allowed the military to detain indefinetely without trial an american citizen arrested on US soil if suspected of terrorists ties. Supposedly this provision was modified before passing but just the idea it was proposed and backed by 60 Senators should get every citizen's hackles up that believes in the Constitution. Holding non-citizens indefinitely without trial is bad enoughand needs to be stopped.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/2011/11/29/america-is-a-battlefield-oh-boy/

[different clue]

I live a very slow and narrow life so I have never met any of the New Yorker tourists you must refer to, but . . . can they really be that bad?
Don't we want them to come here and "Keep Michigan Green--Spend Money"?