Your perfect world edges closer.

People should be careful what the wish for...they might get it.

The very first time I traveled to a foreign country (Mexico), I was a teen. I was startled to see a soldier (federali?) with a machine gun in the middle of the tourist area. I also noted that all the cars were obeying the traffic laws (e.g. stopping for the sign, etc).

It hasn't happened often since, but occasionally I encounter someone with a machine gun and flak jacket (sometimes small groups of them) patrolling around. It's very unsettling.

My first trip the Philippines, 1poorlady took me to KFC (fresh off the plane, she thought I might be hungry). The doorman was a security guard with a shotgun. Yeah, he wasn't really a doorman...just security...I think he just occupied himself holding the door for people.

You do NOT want Marines patrolling L.A., or D.C., or pretty much anywhere else.**


**And I really feel for those guys. Legal Eagle and Scowl Owl did a deep dive on this across a few episodes. Boiled down, it's in the best interest of the individual Marine to follow an order, even though he supposedly has an obligation to disobey an illegal order. We can't expect an 18-yr old to parse the law on the spot. If he disobeys, he is in great peril of a DD and possible brig time. On the other hand, if he obeys the order and something happens, he can be held personally liable if the order was found to be illegal. It's an impossible situation to put a young person in.