I think this is a simplistic comment designed to elicit a thoughtless emotional reaction from people who already agree with you. It doesn't really address any o

I think this is a simplistic comment designed to elicit a thoughtless emotional reaction from people who already agree with you. It doesn't really address any of the issues the article bought up, nor does it suggest any ways forward. I also don't think you're right about your blanket statement: five seconds on Wikipedia revealed a very broad, bipartisan prison reform initiative organized by the Koch and MacArthur Foundations and many other groups including the ACLU. So there is a lot of support for making the penal system better. And there is ample recent evidence of politicians advocating for reform: California and Massachusetts vacating low-level drug convictions; Governor Deal's reforms in Georgia; The First Step Act (just passed committee last week); even Trump hosted discussions in Jan. Sure, none of those are perfect but it's a mile away from your alleged harsh 'American "justice" culture.' A moment's reflection opens up a the possibility of a slightly deeper analysis, which is that actually it might be a function of money and business inserting itself into the public sector: cash-strapped state budgets, privatized prisons, a pattern of contracting-out basic services, and a literally captive customer base create a perfect environment for this kind of predatory nastiness.