“When these funerals are over, those responsible will be called on the carpet and held accountable.” Patrick Lynch, head of NYC Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association referring to New York’s mayor, Bill de Blasio

With this single arrogant statement, Lynch raises the question: Who is running the city government? Of course, we know that behind both the mayor and the cops stands Wall St., the banks, the real estate speculators, but still…

Can you imagine a general making a statement like this? He or she would be fired immediately. But when Corporate America’s number one newspaper, the Wall St. Journal, takes the position that the police are the thin blue line “between civilization and mayhem”, this gives the police an added authority and a degree (limited for now) of actual independent political power.

At the same time as Lynch made this comment, he also gave orders to the police not to respond to calls in single cars. Can anybody imagine if a union leader told his or her members how to conduct themselves at work and told the mayor that they were going to be “called on the carpet and made accountable”? Can you imagine the furor that would result?

Truly, the police are getting close to out of control.