The time: about 20 years ago

The place: a fish & chips joint on Shattuck Avenue, downtown Berkeley. RC orders lunch; finds proprietress (English) discussing recent outrageous conduct of British lager louts at soccer match with fellow subject of Elizabeth II. Consensus; what they need back home is a good solid dose of American-style policing. The savagery and brutality of American police known the world over; a whiff of this would be sufficient to cow the louts and restore order. Yes, US cops may be among the nastiest in the world, but they get the job done, etc., etc. -- all set forth with no irony whatsoever.

To see ourselves as others see us, I reflected at the time.

cordially,