8 Comments
Aug 28, 2023Liked by Alec Karakatsanis

Once again, outstanding work!

You really should edit down this article into an editorial or opinion piece and submit it to the editor of the San Francisco newspaper and the Detroit newspaper so their readers can see the true stories behind the DA’s office and the Prosecutors that are responsible for “keeping crime controlled”.

The readers should know the truth about how those in power got there and who they really are instead of the BS voters are fed.

It gets so nobody tells you the truth about candidates anymore and it really is a rigged system.

We need a lot more investigative journalists and papers who are interested in finding the truth and papers willing to publish the truth.

Hell, can we just agree that truth is something we still value?

Expand full comment

Such incredible reporting and analysis.

Expand full comment

Thank you for your valuable research and work

Expand full comment

Thank you. This work is so important. We're fighting against multi billionaires who want to see our democracy die. The gaslighting they utilize works😔 Definitely need counter programming such as this to become more widespread.

Expand full comment
Aug 28, 2023Liked by Alec Karakatsanis

"The function is to disorient people who think of themselves as progressive." Maybe better to ask how these masked "progressives" think about their politics anyway? They don't seem to be disoriented in experssing their support for war and war profiteers (see Ukraine, Somalia, Syria, Palestine, Iran, Peru, etc.) and never flinch from backing the "progressive" president no matter what. They love censorship and plead with their billionaires to cancel view they don't like. They violently assault protestors holding views they really don't like (e.g. trans surgery for kids, teachers fired for refusing poisonous "vaccines," immigration policies, etc.).

The label "progressive" died when it became attached to the reactionary, war mongering Democratic Party, where love for the FBI, CIA and police is mandatory. I fear you may be "disoriented."

Expand full comment
Aug 28, 2023Liked by Alec Karakatsanis

Maybe tangential: the riff about a few bad apple cops was disproven by reality long ago. If there are so many good cops, none are doing anything about the bad cops. (As always with *my* absolute statements, there are too few exceptions to matter -- in this case, I guess I should add “if any”.) Rather the good cops are enablers of the bad cops.

Along with, as illustrated, in the post, the media, too, are irresponsible enablers of bad police behavior.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Alex.

In 2020 SROs were removed from the San Jose Eastside school district, where I lived. We abolitionists were super happy about this. But almost immediately, and silently, the SRO’s contract was signed, and they were brought back.

Now I live in Minnesota. A couple days ago in several counties, including Hennepin, where Twin Cities are, SRO’s have been removed from school campuses. The police won’t sign their contract because the state of Minnesota wants to limit police powers to abuse children in schools. You can’t make this up. The murder pigs are angry because they can’t hurt children.

The media is only interviewing police. They are treating this as something to grieve rather than celebrate.

There is a one-sided flow of information, and I am concerned that the SRO’s will return. They bring with them the school to prison pipeline. Your attention and insight would be greatly appreciated.

Expand full comment

This kind of critical analysis is very important. Apologies if you were the one I originally found this article through, but Andre Gorz's analysis of non-reformist reforms really helped me with a framework to determine what reforms are actually changing systems, or creating the conditions to change systems, and what reforms are intended to maintain the status quo. https://jacobin.com/2021/07/andre-gorz-non-reformist-reforms-revolution-political-theory I'm also reminded of a quote I heard somewhere about fascism not having any real policy positions besides control/power, which is why it dresses itself up in the language of socialism until that language is no longer necessary.

Expand full comment