Riots and stuff, in theory

The other day I was in a car with this young idealist creature, super hot, really naive. Or, not really naive, just ... how do you call someone who has no experience but great passionate opinions? Not sure. Anyway. He tried to convince me that we live in a police state where it's just about time cops start shooting at protestors. Now, not only can I not remember the last time cops shot ANYONE, I can't recall the last time we had any kind of protest. Three, four years maybe? It was just workers standing in plastic covers in the rain. Yes, there is always about ten people yelling at the senate building, complaining at the government, but we change our government like, every year, so nobody knows what they are complaining about. I assume they're just bored and wanna be on TV. Oh, and last year the postal workers were on strike, but that just meant they went to work and actively didn't do anything for 24 hours. 

First, I tried to explain that not even when I was in the army did anyone have the right to order me to kill anybody. Not NATO, not anyone. In case of an actual conflict, defend, yes. But execute? Are you joking? Fuck no. Nobody in this country killed anyone in a long time, not even in the army. As for the police ... I tried to explain - he would not listen at this point, he was just yelling and trying to sell me anarchism and vigilantism - that there are riot-trained units for a reason. That if people expect riots to turn violent, they won't just go all shocked and unprepared and full defence mode, and open fire on civilians. Maybe in Turkey or North Korea or any other country ruled by a fat Joffrey Baratheon, where they need extremely few excuses, but we simply do not exist in a violent country. Riot police are equipped and trained to crowd-control and minimise the happenstance in terms of damage to people and property. They use water canons, rubber ammo, batons and gas. Which, like I say, has not happened in my lifetime except once where it turned out those of the rioters who did turn violent were actually paid to be there by the guy who wanted to prove how violent we are. It didn't work. The boy argued if someone throws a Molotov at a cop, they will shoot him. I argued if that happens, it is likely they will move, use non-lethal ammo and get the guy later, when he's calmed down from his acid trip and make him pay for the mess he made.  

People who throw Molotov cocktails at cops around here aren't doing it to elevate and/or liberate unfair society. It's people who like throwing Molotov cocktails. They usually wait for the photographers to be ready for the money shot, too.