New Books in Critical Theory

Julian Go, "Policing Empires: Militarization, Race, and the Imperial Boomerang in Britain and the US" (Oxford UP, 2023)

Dec 12, 2023
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ANECDOTE

Julian Go’s Policing Journey

  • Julian Go was not originally a policing expert; his focus was on postcolonial theory and the US empire.
  • The militarization of police in Ferguson in 2014 sparked his deep interest in the imperial origins of US police militarization.
INSIGHT

Policing as a Colonial Social Product

  • Policing militarization is a social product shaped by historical and global social conditions, especially colonialism.
  • US and British policing must be understood within broader imperial and colonial frameworks beyond domestic factors.
INSIGHT

Imperial Boomerang Explains Militarization

  • Police militarization in Britain and the US has occurred in multiple waves since the 19th century.
  • These waves are driven by the 'imperial boomerang': colonial military tactics adopted domestically to control perceived racialized threats.
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