The New ‘Law and Order’: How Policing Becomes Fascism in Disguise
On Morning Joe, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., a noted African American scholar, confronted Joe Scarborough’s advocacy for increased federal police presence in cities as a means of “public safety,” labeling it authoritarianism rather than safety. Glaude pointed out that this rhetoric echoes past policies like Nixon’s “law and order” and Giuliani’s “stop and frisk,” which ultimately led to mass incarceration and devastated Black communities instead of providing true safety.
Scarborough insisted that the solution lay in hiring more Black officers and better training, referencing a poll wherein many D.C. residents voiced crime concerns. However, Glaude argued that acknowledging crime doesn’t justify militarization; community requests focus on genuine safety, not police force. Scarborough reacted defensively, questioning Glaude’s authenticity and authority to represent Black concerns, embodying a paternalistic perspective that endorses a police state under the guise of safety.
Additionally, thousands marched in D.C. against police militarization and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s actions, an event largely ignored by Scarborough and his show. This selective silencing is a conscious political choice.
In discussing the role of intellectuals during times of rising fascism, Robin D. G. Kelley highlights the need for “organic” intellectuals who actively combat oppression rather than remain neutral. Glaude’s challenge against authoritarianism is a beginning, but Kelley argues more action is required. Historical Black intellectuals not only spoke out but organized and built movements against fascism, a model today’s scholars should follow. The current political landscape, akin to the Red Scare, demands a robust response from Black intellectuals to align with justice movements and oppose the burgeoning autocracy, as the stakes involve nothing less than freedom itself.
