Stephan:   Here is yet another aspect of  the immense corruption and exploitation that is woven into the American gulag. This ought to be a national scandal. Why do you think it isn't? Always remember: The U.S. has five per cent of the world population, and 25 per cent of the world prison population. It raises questions: Are Americans inherently dishonest, vicious, and violent? Is there something in our culture that makes people that way? Or is something else going on? The thing about this story that really got to me was the realization that there is something nasty in our culture. As a society we like punishing people, particularly poor people. This phone story is a perfect example. And as a secondary issue: the quality of American sheriffs. Unlike all other law enforcement positions, sheriffs are elected, usually by a few thousand people. The post is a hang over from British Common Law. And there is a chronic frequency of news reports about corruption and poor performance. This may be because there are no standards of training or achievement.   In a 21st century. This is how the office is described by Police Magazine, a professional publication in law enforcement: "Because sheriffs' offices are created by state constitutions, qualifications can vary widely. In Bibb County, Ga., for example, a qualified candidate must be at least 25 years of age, and have been a resident of Bibb County for at least a year. In Jefferson County, Colo., candidates must be able to pass a physical agility test. Livingston Parish, La., doesn't require its sheriff to have a professional policing background. But it does insist that candidates have at least 160 hours of law enforcement training at an accredited law enforcement school. (emphasis added) How does that strike you as a standard? Send someone to school for four weeks, less time than is spent teaching a child to learn long division.  Then give them a gun, a small army, a significant budget, and many toys. For a certain type of person it is irresistible. Consider the effect on sheriffs produced by the militarization of law enforcement. And finally, consider the seduction of the toys flooding into the world of sheriffs funded by the federal money the military-industrial law enforcement sector lobbied Congress to make available to make available to sheriffs and other law enforcement departments and agencies. That allure should not be underestimated because it produces quite scary consequences. We have already begun to see what militarized police operations look like, and people have been horrified.