> Society starts failing when the answer to every problem is call mommy and daddy (the police) and stops enforcing basic societal norms by Complex societies se

> Society starts failing when the answer to every problem is call mommy and daddy (the police) and stops enforcing basic societal norms by Complex societies seem to have a few basic options: 1 - Enforce social laws 'locally' without official government sanction; neighborhood heroes if you're polite, the mob if you're looking at the U.S. big cities in much of the 20th century. Behaviors change through fear. 2 - Enforce statutory laws via government punishment: fines or community service, imprisonment for repeat offenders, etc. Behaviors change through removing people from the society, or scaring them into fearing punishment. 3 - Don't enforce any laws. After all, shoplifting is a victimless crime. People need to eat and they need medicine. It's not against the law to be poor. 4 - Change societal norms through shaming and education. After all, people don't realize the impact they're having, if you finger wag and lecture to them, they will understand the bigger societal reason to be nice. In cities like NYC, SF, Philly and Chicago I seem to be seeing all of these, with a de-emphasis on traditional #2, the government punishing people. We like to blame police for not showing up, but district attorneys are specifically avoiding to prosecute [1], so police aren't going to waste their times and risk themselves. We have judges attempting diversion programs like making defendants write essays or attend some event where they can meet victims to gain empathy. Then we have a huge number (according to voting patterns) of Millennial-age folks who are deeply against police, against incarceration ("the carceral system" as they refer to it) at any cost, both as they're viewed as historically racist. What will happen now? Well as usual the middle class and poor will suffer - the rich will always have their deliveries, private security, and seclusion from the street thuggery we're pretending is inevitable and perhaps only started during the pandemic (an argument being made by our politicians). 1 - See page four of https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Day-One-Letter-Policies-1.03.2022.pdf https://www.manhattanda.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Day-O... ("The Office will not prosecute the following charges...")