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>But when you say the US is "exceptionally violent" that is indeed what you're saying. Compared to present countries, not the past, the US indeed is exceptiona

>But when you say the US is "exceptionally violent" that is indeed what you're saying. Compared to present countries, not the past, the US indeed is exceptionally violent, especially given the wealth in the country. * Homicide rate is among the highest of all OECD countries, for example: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5?locations=OE&most_recent_value_desc=false https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/VC.IHR.PSRC.P5?location... * The US still has legal capital punishment. * The whole approach to the penal system being very revenge-based, resulting in very high incarceration rates etc. * The prevalence of sexual violence, e.g. compare the US with Canada: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/violence-against-women/indicator/english_f1eb4876-en https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health...

WalterBright 6y ago
> Homicide rate is among the highest of all OECD countries First off, what is and is not an OECD country is selection bias right from the start. "Among" the highest is subjective as well, and it's far from the highest. Next, the US is a large and diverse country. There are some neighborhoods with very high homicide rates (in Chicago, for example). This is not at all representative of the rest of the country, but it averages into the statistics. The TV series "Sons of Anarchy" is certainly entertaining, but has nothing to do with reality in the US. The homicide rate is still very, very low compared to deaths from other causes. It doesn't even rate a mention in lists of deaths from causes. I wouldn't characterize that as "exceptionally violent". > The US still has legal capital punishment. 28 states have capital punishment, 22 do not. In 2019, 22 people total were executed. While this is 22 too many and it needs to stop, it is statistically insignificant compared to the population of 328,000,000. > The whole approach to the penal system being very revenge-based I agree with that, but don't agree it makes society violent. > The prevalence of sexual violence I clicked on the reference, expecting to see rates of conviction for sexual violence. It's not there.

WalterBright 6y ago

> Homicide rate is among the highest of all OECD countries First off, what is and is not an OECD country is selection bias right from the start. "Among" the highest is subjective as well, and it's far from the highest. Next, the US is a large and diverse country. There are some neighborhoods with very high homicide rates (in Chicago, for example). This is not at all representative of the rest of the country, but it averages into the statistics. The TV series "Sons of Anarchy" is certainly entertaining, but has nothing to do with reality in the US. The homicide rate is still very, very low compared to deaths from other causes. It doesn't even rate a mention in lists of deaths from causes. I wouldn't characterize that as "exceptionally violent". > The US still has legal capital punishment. 28 states have capital punishment, 22 do not. In 2019, 22 people total were executed. While this is 22 too many and it needs to stop, it is statistically insignificant compared to the population of 328,000,000. > The whole approach to the penal system being very revenge-based I agree with that, but don't agree it makes society violent. > The prevalence of sexual violence I clicked on the reference, expecting to see rates of conviction for sexual violence. It's not there.