4 ms·

>So why is the lead crime hypothesis treated so negatively by our elites? It's not just treated negatively by elites, but I think that's very straightforward.

>So why is the lead crime hypothesis treated so negatively by our elites? It's not just treated negatively by elites, but I think that's very straightforward. Because a biological or chemical explanation for behaviour, especially such a simple one, throws a pretty big wrench into the moralistic and individualistic worldview that underpins our Western societies, in particular in regards to crime or intellect. If you accept the, from a scientific point, very obvious observation that a bunch of chemicals in your drinking water can turn you into an idiot or a criminal you just about undermine most stories of self-earned merit or responsibility we are being fed in our mother's milk and that justify bringing the hammer down on said inner city youth.

jhgb 5y ago
I guess alcohol is a non-issue, then? Or are you restricting yourself only to some chemicals?
- cool_dude85 5y ago
  I'm sure we've all seen alcohol or illicit drug use used to further the morality tales we tell ourselves. Lead is a lot harder to do it with because it was in water or paint.
  - Gibbon1 5y ago
    If you want a morality tale it's the worst because it means a the perps were originally helpless victims themselves. The worse thing I think comes from some really old chemistry books from the early 1900's I inherited. The thing from those books is educated people back when they started putting lead in paint and gasoline absolutely knew lead caused developmental brain damage.
- Barrin92 5y ago
  Alcohol is absolutely an issue, all drug use is. I don't limit myself to 'some' chemicals. But I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, are you asking if I think drug use ought to be treated the same way, as an environmental and behavioral issue, rather than some individualistic moral guilt thing? Yes, absolutely. It's a good example actually. We've done incredible damage by moralizing drug use rather than treating it as medical issue and instead promote quackery like AA which has horrible outcomes.
  - jhgb 5y ago
    What I meant was, do the same people who have that "moralistic and individualistic worldview" and reject lead as a possible cause of things believe (or rather disbelieve?) the same things about alcohol?
newbamboo 5y ago
Yes. Everybody wants to believe in strong free will. Everybody. If you accept that one group isn’t entirely culpable for their actions than other groups will get the same treatment (kkk, date rapists, capitol protestors, etc…) Until we can accept that all humans are mostly products of genetics and environment, the push for legal reform will come down to political questions about which sorts of people we affiliate with the most.

jhgb 5y ago

I guess alcohol is a non-issue, then? Or are you restricting yourself only to some chemicals?

cool_dude85 5y ago
I'm sure we've all seen alcohol or illicit drug use used to further the morality tales we tell ourselves. Lead is a lot harder to do it with because it was in water or paint.
- Gibbon1 5y ago
  If you want a morality tale it's the worst because it means a the perps were originally helpless victims themselves. The worse thing I think comes from some really old chemistry books from the early 1900's I inherited. The thing from those books is educated people back when they started putting lead in paint and gasoline absolutely knew lead caused developmental brain damage.
Barrin92 5y ago
Alcohol is absolutely an issue, all drug use is. I don't limit myself to 'some' chemicals. But I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, are you asking if I think drug use ought to be treated the same way, as an environmental and behavioral issue, rather than some individualistic moral guilt thing? Yes, absolutely. It's a good example actually. We've done incredible damage by moralizing drug use rather than treating it as medical issue and instead promote quackery like AA which has horrible outcomes.
- jhgb 5y ago
  What I meant was, do the same people who have that "moralistic and individualistic worldview" and reject lead as a possible cause of things believe (or rather disbelieve?) the same things about alcohol?

newbamboo 5y ago

Yes. Everybody wants to believe in strong free will. Everybody. If you accept that one group isn’t entirely culpable for their actions than other groups will get the same treatment (kkk, date rapists, capitol protestors, etc…) Until we can accept that all humans are mostly products of genetics and environment, the push for legal reform will come down to political questions about which sorts of people we affiliate with the most.