Boys in Blue Camo: The 1033 Program

Abstract

There’s a thin, often unclear line between a riot and a protest. Demonstrators perform a tightrope-walking act, balancing their outrage at controversial events with the knowledge that a single misstep can lead to total chaos. In some countries, that chaos manifests itself as military crackdowns by the ruling government, the goal being to jail problematic opposition leaders and scare people out of returning to the streets. The U.S. has a long history of replacing that military force with the presence of local police, but over time that line has become equally blurred. One need only look at the events of Ferguson, Mo. to see that ambiguity in action.