The people who wrote the Constitution regarded a standing army as a threat to liberty, so they wanted the US to be defended by its citizenry, with a conventional army only being raised in the event of a war and then disbanded afterwards. There have been many, many books written about early America--if you actually care, you might want to start by reading the Federalist Papers. Note that they didn't have anything against a standing navy.
As for the police, robkelk had proposed getting rid of the armed men who so many people advocate sending out to impose their whims. I don't really believe he meant it, but I replied that I was in favor of that--police are just the group most commonly used to to the imposing.
As for the police, robkelk had proposed getting rid of the armed men who so many people advocate sending out to impose their whims. I don't really believe he meant it, but I replied that I was in favor of that--police are just the group most commonly used to to the imposing.