"The function of that police action, those interventions in Central America and the Middle East, is system sustaining. It is to maintain that overall system. You don't look at the particular cost. I can demonstrate to you that in every single bank robbery, the cost of the police was more than the actual money that the robbers took from the bank. Does that mean there's no economic interest involved? They're not protecting the banks? No! Of course it's economic; of course they're defending the banks. If they didn't stop that bank robbery, regardless of the cost, it could jeopardize the entire banking system. There are people who believe that the function of the police is to fight crime. That's not true; the function of the police is social control and protection of property."

Michael Parenti